A Richly Decorated Prestigious Fence (BP234)
BP234 refers to French architecture in its ornament, with a real wealth of forged forms: scrolls, leaves and crests. Lanterns on the brick pillars complete the look.
It is a true work of artistic blacksmithing, and it should satisfy even very demanding owners.
French ornament on English brick
BP234 borrows its decoration from French palace ironwork, with tall bars, rich scrollwork, leaves and crests rising above the top rail, yet it stands in front of houses of red brick. The contrast works beautifully: the warm brick of the low wall and pillars sets off the black steel, and the lanterns on the pillars repeat the period character of the ironwork.
The photos show the fence along a residential street, with a matching driveway gate set under a higher arch. Seen from the pavement, the line of crests and lanterns gives the houses a stately frontage that few ordinary fences can match.
Decoration in layers
Each panel is composed in layers. Vertical bars form the base and keep the fence secure, a band of scrolls runs along the lower part, and the crest above the top rail is built from leaves, volutes and finials around a central motif. Because the crest is higher in the middle of each span, the fence has a lively silhouette that rises and falls between the pillars.
This much ornament only looks good when it is carefully balanced. We draw every panel at full scale before forging, check the spacing of the elements and make sure that the crests line up from span to span along the whole frontage.
The scrolls of the lower band also play a practical role: they close the gaps between the bars near the ground, so small dogs cannot slip through and the fence feels solid at the level where children and pets play.
Lanterns, gates and pillars
- lanterns on the pillar caps, wired for evening light,
- a double driveway gate with a raised arch and the same crest,
- a pedestrian gate beside the drive,
- panels adapted to brick, stone or rendered pillars.
The lanterns can be made in our workshop to match the ironwork, or chosen from our wrought iron lanterns. A fence of this class is meant to last for generations, so every joint is fully welded and the steel is galvanized before it is painted.
Living with an ornate fence
Is such a decorated fence hard to look after?
Not really. The surfaces are protected and painted, so an occasional wash with water is enough. Every few years it is worth checking the finish on the most exposed parts and touching up any chips.
