Hand-forged ironmongery, like everything else, is subject to changing fashions.
In the seventeenth century, the “Baroque” style of architecture – associated with such famous names as Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor – had been tremendously popular. It was colourful, theatrical and over-the-top.
King George I, who came to the throne in 1714, absolutely detested it. Throughout the eighteenth century, a more a restrained style, which came to be called “Georgian” took over.
It was fashionable for rich young men to go on the Grand Tour – a sort of eighteenth century gap year during which they would visit the great cities of Europe. Some of them came back impressed with the ancient Greek and Roman buildings they had seen, and these “classical” styles started to influence Georgian buildings.
More and more people were starting to move to the towns: so builders had to fit large numbers of houses into relatively small spaces. So the most typical Georgian building is a terrace of town houses: three or four stories high, and built in a similar style, so that whole streets had a consistent feel.
Baroque buildings had been flamboyant and dramatic; but Georgian houses were restrained understated and elegant. The Georgians wanted buildings which were perfectly proportioned; balanced; symmetrical and above all, regular.
The baroque period had been a golden age of wrought iron. But the industrial revolution meant that craftsmen were beginning to see the possibilities of cast iron. Wrought iron relies on the skills of individual craftsmen and artists; but cast iron – made by pouring molten metal into moulds – can be mass-produced. It’s also very much stronger.
This approach suited the Georgian age. A row of identical Georgian town-houses was positively complemented b a cast iron railing in which the same shape or pattern was repeated over and over again.
This didn’t mean that Georgian cast iron was dull and functional. Decorative flourishes – fleur de lys, leaves, a Greek-style urn, or perhaps a pineapple – were worked into the most humble buildings. Because the work was mass-produced even relatively poor people could have interesting cast-iron decorations on their homes.
Georgian houses had many uses for cast iron. They required grids and grills to cover their coal cellars and basements. There was often an open gap between the street and the basement, so safety railings were needed. The front door tended to be up a flight of steps from the pavement, requiring yet more railings and gates.
It became very fashionable for houses to have cast iron balconies, with elaborate ornamental brackets, on their first floors. The architect Robert Adam is famous for working anthemion decorations — a kind of Greek floral pattern — into his balconies: these were copied and imitated throughout the period.
Adam also created a fad for putting “fan-lights” into houses porches. These were semi-circular windows with elaborate cast iron frames.
The Georgian Style of cast-iron is reckoned to have lasted through the reigns of George I, George II, mad George III and his son George IV, the prince regent.
But just as the Georgians had found baroque vulgar; so the Victorians found Georgian ironwork dull and repetitive; and the style began to die out.
But if you crave the everyday beauty of Georgian-style cast iron – whether to restore a Georgian property or to add a touch of panache to your modern home — the craftsmen at English Blacksmith can provide hand forged ironmongery that will help you recreate the elegance of that bygone age.
The 
For outdoor use it is recommended that Powder Coated items are used, the Powder Coating giving an extremely hard-wearing finish that will withstand the elements.
The door knobs from English Blacksmith are supplied as a set, which includes a pair of knobs with back plates, suitable for use as either mortice or rim knobs, and a threaded spindle which allows adjustment for different door thicknesses. They are unsprung and thus require an additional latch or lock to be fitted – such as, for example, the high quality stainless steel 
furniture. 
appearance. Depending on the project, it is also available as the half Butterfly hinge (pictured below) and both designs come in the range of 
ly suited for period furniture such as the cabinet below. Butterfly hinges are also ideal for smaller period doors, cupboards, delicate boxes and chests.