iron railing in front gardens of houses

steeljack · 07-04-2007, 18:09

Another user of the site (jackyalex) has a tread running about applying for planning permission for a new fence in front of their home , it got me to wondering if there happens to be any old photos about showing the 'iron' railings that used to be in place on loads of front garden walls , the ones which were cut down during as part of the war effort , just wondering how high they used to be and how ornamental they were . Maybe one or two of the older members can remember them and give us some idea about what they were like.
thanks

sorry , should probably be in the nostalgia thread

Owd Bert · 07-04-2007, 20:12

Styles varied but the even numbered houses in Fountain St between Higher Antley and Perth St stood about 18 inches above the the stone slabs. Difficult to describe but I think I have one or two pre-war photos taken with a Brownie Box Camera in my archives. However, I am not at home at the moment but will keep it it in mind.

WillowTheWhisp · 07-04-2007, 20:43

Somewhere we've got an old photo of my Gran's house and the wall was about 2ft 6 and on top of that the railings about another 18 inches. The gate came up to the top of the railngs. I haven't a clue where the photo is though, sorry.

Ianto.W. · 07-04-2007, 22:14

If you walk along Cannon St or St James St, you will notice the style of the iron railings are all the same design, as usual the 'Council' in their wisdom has deemed all things 'Central' shall conform. The originals were taken for munitions scrap during the first world war.

garinda · 07-04-2007, 22:17

I don't know if it is an urban myth or not, but I once read that all the railings taken down in WWII, were never used to make anything for the war effort, but were just scrapped instead.

WillowTheWhisp · 07-04-2007, 22:24

I heard that too.

steeljack · 07-04-2007, 22:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

I don't know if it is an urban myth or not, but I once read that all the railings taken down in WWII, were never used to make anything for the war effort, but were just scrapped instead.

yep , I heard that story as well , what got me thinking about them , I was watching a British TV show 'as time goes by' and it looked like all the older houses in London still had the original railings still in place so I just wondered if the war effort was just propaganda

Ianto.W. · 07-04-2007, 22:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I heard that too.

The house I live in the railings were removed for WW1, in WW2 they came round and collected pots pans and any other metalic bric-a-brac, these as was rightly stated were of no use to the war effort. Why bother producing from scrap, when the 'Yanks' will lend us the finished article.

garinda · 07-04-2007, 22:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeljack

yep , I heard that story as well , what got me thinking about them , I was watching a British TV show 'as time goes by' and it looked like all the older houses in London still had the original railings still in place so I just wondered if the war effort was just propaganda

Well, it's funny you should say that...

I remember as a child asking about all the little metal knots in walls up here, and being told the railings were taken down in the war to make armaments.

However, near my place of work in London, all the houses in Belgravia and Knightsbridge still had their original railings. I did actually do a check to see if they were replacements, and they weren't.

Looks like the big nobs came out better than the little people once again.

WillowTheWhisp · 07-04-2007, 23:23

I wonder if people got compensated for loss of railings.

garinda · 08-04-2007, 08:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I wonder if people got compensated for loss of railings.

It seems that individual councils were reponsible for the removal of railings.

Looks like we were keener up here than some of the more affluent boroughs of London, though according to this, Buckingham Palace donated 'some' of it's railings for the war effort.

http://www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk/Onli...fort.html#rail

WillowTheWhisp · 08-04-2007, 08:23

I bet they got theirs replaced PDQ though afterwards

Owd Bert · 08-04-2007, 11:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I wonder if people got compensated for loss of railings.

Don`t think " Compensation Culture" had been invented in those days.