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01663 750716
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sales@britishsc.co.uk
Crafted by Hand, Designed for You
24 June 2021
Whether you’re embarking on the new-build of your dreams or just getting to the next stage on your doer-upper, period or modern railings can add character to your property whilst keeping loved ones safe. The Building Regulation and planning requirements for these features in the different regions of the UK can be a little confusing, […]
18 May 2021
In cities across Britain, it’s fairly common to find larger townhouses from the Victorian and Georgian periods which have been converted into separate flats over time with an external staircase fitted to reach the upper floors. With older conversions in particular, this can lead to some odd internal arrangements. For this project in Scotland, […]
17 April 2021
Before designing a bespoke piece for a client, whether it be a staircase, balcony, balustrade or railing, we always sit down with them (either in-person, on the phone or via email) to try and get a clear idea of their vision. Customers are often surprised by the amount of choice and design decisions they need […]
13 April 2021
If, like us, you’ve spent the recent lockdowns browsing the internet for your dream holiday, this project might just be for you. Chalet Marmotte is a beautiful, catered ski and holiday chalet located in the La Plagne region of France. During the last year, the Lovely Chalet Company has been hard at work carrying […]
23 March 2021
After the year we’ve just had, we could all do with some spa treatment and if you live in and around Berkshire what better place to book than the luxurious Nirvana Spa. Back in 2018, we worked with the Spa to provide two decorative spiral staircases for guests at their new Colosseum Suite. We had […]
18 March 2021
Here at British Spirals & Castings, we take real pride in the fact that all our pieces, whether they be staircases, balconies, balustrades or railings, are produced by craftspeople right here in the UK. By taking this approach, we can ensure that everything we produce meets our high standards and provides pleasure for customers for […]
18 February 2021
External metal railings are a great option to add a little more character and security to the outside of your property. We offer hundreds of railing components within our cast iron store and can also manufacture bespoke railings for longer runs (over 5 metres in length). As with any significant change to the exterior of […]
20 January 2021
Spiral staircases are often chosen for projects where space is very tight, but they can also provide a graceful feature within much larger spaces. For Ash Tree Barn, a luxurious 5-bedroom property from Vanmark Group, we created a large diameter Scandinavian spiral staircase within the library, which provides a focal point both inside and out. […]
27 November 2020
For over a century the Science Museum in London has been inspiring visitors from across the world with the wonders of science. The museum’s world-class collection forms an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical advancement from across the globe and includes objects ranging from Robert Hooke’s microscope to the Enigma machine and Tim Peake’s […]
Update – 27/11/20 We’re pleased to announce that our showroom is reopening to visitors by appointment from 2nd December. To book a visit, please contact us via phone (01663 750716) or email: sales@britishsc.co.uk. Our workshop and foundry continue to operate as usual with safety measures in place. If you have any queries, please get in touch via […]
11 November 2020
Balustrades add an important safety barrier to staircases, particularly if you have young children running up and down them. In our experience, we’ve found that even professionals can find the regulations here in the UK a little confusing and, as a result, think they need either a higher or lower railing than is necessary. This […]
02 October 2020
If you’re looking to repair or restore sections of the original metalwork outside your property, there are a few things you need to consider. As we discussed previously, design tastes varied considerably over the Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian periods so it is important to try and accurately estimate the age of the metalwork (the clue […]
04 September 2020
A staircase is a fairly unusual purchase so when our customers first get in touch with us, they have usually done some looking around. One thing we hear all too often is that they’ve been advised that they can only order their spiral staircase in specific diameters. Nothing could be further from the truth! The […]
05 August 2020
The ‘clear width’ is the unobstructed width of a staircase. For example, if you are fitting a spiral staircase with an inner and outer handrail (typical for commercial installations) then the clear width is the distance from the inside of the inner handrail to the inside of the outer handrail as shown below: Alternatively, if […]
03 July 2020
Barn conversions offer a rare blend of a characterful and storied structure with an almost blank internal canvas for homeowners to explore and develop. The high ceilings within these buildings makes them particularly suitable for adding extra levels. We’ve crafted staircases for a number of these projects over the years to complement the homeowners preferred […]
29 May 2020
A great deal of care and attention goes into the design and creation of each bespoke staircase here at British Spirals & Castings, and our focus is not only on creating stairs which look the part when installed, but will continue to bring pleasure for decades to come. For that reason, it is particularly rewarding […]
22 May 2020
‘False balcony’ is another name for a Juliet balcony or balconet. Despite their many names, these features are actually relatively simple. Unlike a full balcony which projects out from the structure, false balconies have no flooring deck and are just a railing which sit across the outer face of a window. Why install a false […]
07 May 2020
When you’re dealing with a period property, any alterations to the building exterior can present a challenge, not least to obtain planning permission. British Spirals & Castings have a great deal of experience designing and manufacturing staircases, balconies and other metalwork to exacting heritage requirements, ensuring they fit beautifully within your property and receive […]
09 April 2020
Since we began creating bespoke staircases back in the 1980s, creativity and attention to detail have been hallmarks of our work. In our collaborations with Jonathan Lees Architects, we have found kindred spirits. Each project is a new adventure and finished details are everything, making everyone involved with the project up their game to […]
12 March 2020
Cast and wrought iron railings may appear to be indestructible, but take it from us, these features can easily fall apart if they’re not cared for properly. Over the years we’ve helped a number of clients restore parts or entire sections of period railings which have fallen into disrepair. With a little care and attention, […]
28 February 2020
We’ve all had a go at a bit of DIY from time to time, whether it’s putting together some flat pack furniture or replacing broken guttering, but how about building your own staircase? Whilst the dimensions and weight can certainly present a challenge, installing a staircase is actually much easier than you might think – […]
07 February 2020
The last time we see our staircases in person is usually when they’re being boxed up in our workshop ready to head out to projects all over the globe. Often the installation itself is carried out by a local builder or tradesman chosen by the owner, but occasionally homeowners also fancy tackling it themselves. […]
06 January 2020
During a typical week, we receive many phone calls asking us about whether we supply cast iron staircases? Over the course of the conversation, it usually becomes clear that what they are actually looking for is a traditional design of staircase such as our decorative Victorian spiral staircases or our Georgian style LCC staircases. […]
29 November 2019
Accurate design has been the bedrock of our production process since day one. When we started out this was all done by hand but over time, we have moved over to computer aided design (CAD). Last month we welcomed a new member to our team – Katie Lees – who is helping us to take […]
13 November 2019
There’s a growing movement here in the UK to restore the decorative parts of period homes that have been lost or covered up over time. Just take a look at the #victorianterrace tag on Instagram and you can see countless examples of homeowners stripping out modern-style plastic windows to replace them with more traditional sash-style […]
29 October 2019
The bespoke nature of our products mean we often work with buildings or homeowners who have very particular requirements for their property, and we’re equally happy producing work for both individual homes and much larger estates. In the past we’ve helped developers to reinstate large runs of railings around London townhouses and to create balconies […]
11 October 2019
No matter where you are in the world, you’re never too far away from a British Spirals & Castings staircase or balcony. Around one in six of our spiral staircases are sent overseas for buildings in places such as the US, Canada, Japan, Germany and New Zealand. Whilst we handle many of these orders directly […]
02 October 2019
Decorative metalwork helps to define the character of many period homes, adding charm and splendour. It’s no surprise then that when homeowners are looking to make changes to these properties, they want to ensure any railings, balusters or stairways match the style. As specialists in period metalwork, we’re always looking to ensure any metalwork […]
14 August 2019
Steep staircases in older homes can be a bit of a nightmare to use, feeling like a mountain climbing expedition on the way up and a balancing act on the way down! If you’re adding a staircase to a new or existing space, it makes sense to ensure that it is safe and simple to […]
06 August 2019
Situated within a Dark Skies area in England’s most northerly national park, Greystead Institute offers guests an unforgettable taste of the borderlands. The former Victorian church hall has been converted into a beautiful holiday let by the Monroe family and they commissioned British Spirals & Castings to create a solid oak spiral staircase and a […]