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The Brief: The cathedral handles are an important part of Southwark Cathedral’s heritage, which stretches back to Saxon and Norman times. The Southwark team approached Williams Ironmongery to help with the restoration of a set of pull handles for this grade one listed building. The original handles were manufactured in bronze. These handles have been well loved and bore the signs of the many worshippers who visited this beautiful cathedral over the years, resulting in a lovely gradient effect to the central section of the handles. Unfortunately, one of the pulls was missing a pillar and both were missing their fixing bolts. This meant a solution had to be found to match the colours and to create a long-lasting solution to bring these handles back to their best.
Williams knew that this project needed a manufacturer on-board who would ensure the same attention to detail as they themselves are known for. They were keen to use an end-to-end manufacturer who could not only create the replacement parts, but also ensure a perfect colour match with the finish. Williams worked reguarly with Instinct Hardware, and knowing that they frequently work with bronze and also have an on-site powder coating plant and polishing shop. Initial images were sent over to the Instinct team and work started on producing a replacement pillar and bespoke fixings to restore these handles to their former glory.
Restoration antiquing treatments were sourced in varying colours, then tested on the same bronze being used for the pillars. This was a laborious process – leaving the treatment on for differing times produced different outcomes, as did the different colour options of treatment. A senior staff member controlled the process until the material was a seamless match for the area it was being placed on.
The Outcome: The handle has now been fully restored and has been re-fitted in the cathedral. The whole process has meant that the original handle can be used for many more years with confidence. The new fixings have been made to modern day standards, giving the pull handle more strength than it has ever had before. Restoring this handle has restored a little piece of the cathedral’s history – tallying the past with the present
For more information on Southwark Cathedral - Cathedral Handles Refurbishment talk to Williams Ironmongery Limited