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Railings, Palings, Bars and Barriers
Keep them out or keep them in!
One of my favourite pastimes when I was small was running a stick along the bars on a set of railings – the faster you ran, the better the noise!
G & K made railings for all manner of houses and institutions, schools, parks and even cemeteries. Nowadays steel palings are popular. Network Rail are a great customer for these but in days gone the appearance was combined with the effectiveness, especially around public buildings.
In May 1862 a quote was sought for the provision of well over 850 feet of Iron railing to surround the Cathedral Yard in Exeter. In those days railings were springing up everywhere, though it is hard to find examples of Garton & King's work still around, but not so hard to find photographs. St Thomas Church once boasted a fine length of railing alongside Cowick Street – what is there today is but a shadow of the former glory. Teignmouth Pier was another customer and less elaborate styles were to be seen along Bonhay Road. Keep your eyes open for the sepia pre-war photos of such places as The Eye Infirmary, the old Devon & Exeter Hospital, Wonford Hospital and many of the graveyards – St Davids Church comes to mind. In the country field railings were everywhere – still to be seen nowadays – not too impressive visually but quite effective and durable. Killerton or Powderham have many a mile still.
3
Pennsylvania Crescent
No 3 was my Grandfather’s House up until
1964. The more ornate railings and gates were commandeered in the
Drive for Metal in the 2nd World War. The photograph is of the
original gates and railings – whether they
were made by Garton & King I cannot say, but the lad in the picture
is my
Uncle and I would date the picture around 1925.
3
Pennsylvania Crescent
In 1953 – I’ve
converted the date from Roman Numerals for the benefit of the
uninitiated, actually the 2nd of June, Garton & King made a new set
of Railings and Gates and the inscription reads literally “GARTON
& KING EXETER MADE THESE II-VI-MCMLIII” Click to enlarge
3
Pennsylvania Crescent
The later, Art Deco replacement for the
Pennsylvania Crescent railings.
Bratton Clovelly War Memorial
The
War Memorial is surrounded by Railings and Posts made by Garton &
King. These were put up after the Great War and the lettering is
of the Old Style as used on early pre 1924 material. 1924 was the
year Garton & King became a Limited Company. No drawings
exist for this work and they were discovered by me purely by chance
when driving by in a bus in 2007.
The
Deerstalker Monument
The history of this artwork is well documented
at the Exeter Memories Deerstalker
page. I have reproduced the Garton & King Photo and Scale Plan
pictures here as well.
The
Deerstalker Monument railing plan drawing.
Sir
Thomas Dyke Acland
If statues have a life then I'm afraid Sir
Thomas's has had a hard life. Although it is fairly common knowledge
that he lost his head, his finger and other parts of his anatomy he
lost the hold on his original location and, what is more, he lost his
rather grand and ornate railings, the drawing of which is reproduced
here.
Whether they were or not ever erected I do not know –
perhaps someone knows of a photo of the statue in its original
location? Click to enlarge
New North Road,
Exeter
These railings extend for a considerable distance along the
east side of New North Road. Other examples exist elsewhere
within the City. These are by Garton & King (pre 1924) but many are
also marked Taylor & Bodley.
New North Road,
Exeter
Also to be seen is the drawing of this
style of Support from the G & K Catalogue.
Cathedral
Railings
This drawing is for the Railings surrounding the Tomb of
the Earl of Devon, in the Cathedral. The current railings are post war.
The location for the supports for the original railings can be seen on
the floor where the holes were filled in leaving a series of regular
light coloured circular patches in the flag floor. Another victim of
the War effort.
Extract
from John Garton Junior's September 1848 price and order book
Enlargement
of these images will show the care to detail and skilful drawings that
J. Garton Jnr made in a notebook not much bigger than 5 inch x 7 inch.
Tomb
Railings feature amongst the pages and one example shown are is not for
Easton
& Son in 1849 and another diagram for the Tomb Railings for a
Mr R. Cornish Esquire for a Tomb in Alphington Church Graveyard. Click to enlarge
Extract
from John Garton Junior's book
The gates shown were Entrance Gates
for a Mr Reade of Budleigh Salterton, 18439. Click to enlarge
Bull Meadow Pleasure
Grounds
This Drawing shows the plan for hurdles and gates at Bull
Meadow for Exeter City Council. How many times have I passed by I
cannot recall and for the moment. I must suggest they have long
since gone – perhaps some of our more mature viewers may remember
them and maybe they might forward me a photo?