Metal railings for a listed building

The owners of a Grade 2 Listed property in Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire were seeking a supplier of metal railings for a project they were undertaking and discovered the Alpha Rail website.

The project included having a new Orangery erected with extensive terracing and steps leading down to the garden. The design they had in mind involved metal railings with contemporary twist, but they also wanted to ensure the railings complemented the property given its listed status.

Alpha Rail provided a completely bespoke solution. The metal railing panels supplied for the terrace and steps to the garden featured vertical infill bars with a distinctive knotted twist design. Smooth rounded handrails were originally proposed to be mounted on the top of the railings to complete the decorative look. All upright support bars were manufactured using standard solid square bar and a further ornamental effect was created using ribbed collars to reflect a similar detail on the Orangery itself. These were anchored to the concrete slab under the natural stone slabs used for the terrace.

As the property was listed it was necessary to get approval from the Local Authority Conservation Officer and, following discussions, some minor changes were required which included the use of solid steel square section posts and rectangular section handrail.

Whilst all the metalwork supplied was galvanized and powder coated, the client was also seeking a specific metallic powder coat finish in galvanized plate grey to blend in with the reclaimed brickwork used on the project. This finish worked really well with the style of the spindles as it generated highlights showing off the twists and gave the appearance of a hand made finish.

Commenting, the clients project manager said. “On researching the market the customer chose Alpha Rail because they appeared to offer a “bespoke” solution. Alpha Rail was very willing to work with myself and the owners to come up with a design that met their aspirations. The owner has been delighted with the finish result and the service and attention to detail has been excellent.”