Our Heritage
We concentrate on the reproduction of Coalbrookdale Garden Benches & estate furniture originally fabricated with iron in the 19th century.
Our aluminium heritage range includes examples designed by Christopher Dresser & made by the famous Coalbrookdale. It supplied parts for the SS Great Britain, the railings & gates at Kensington Gardens & Hyde Park. The foundry also had the main stand at the Great Exhibition 1851. Many Coalbrookdale iron castings can be found in parks and stately homes across the UK and beyond.
The Coalbrookdale Foundry – The Darby Dynasty
This world-renowned iron foundry has gained fame for casting innovative products, using coke in the smelting process. This drastic shift significantly reduced production costs and improved iron quality. Furthermore, the elimination of charcoal from the iron-making process became a major catalyst that started the industrial revolution. Remarkably, the Darbys and their staff demonstrated extraordinary prowess in manufacturing and design innovation.
Abraham Darby was born in Dudley (W. Midlands) on the 14th of April 1678 into a Quaker family. However, he was destined to become an English ironmaster who perfected the use of coke to extract iron from the ore.
Darby initially gained smelting experience with copper ore in Bristol. Having learned to use coke to smelt copper, he pondered its application to iron production. His visionary approach led him to purchase land in Coalbrookdale in Shropshire. The foundry was strategically located near the river Severn for water power and transport. Therefore the foundry stood amidst coal deposits with low sulfur content, ideal for producing coke. In 1709, the Company rebuilt a ruined furnace and finally perfected the production of iron, utilizing locally made coke.
Iron Smelting – Coke v Charcoal
A ground-breaking iron extraction process was perfected at Coalbrookdale. This allowed the Darbys to demonstrate the advantages of coke in reducing final iron prices by increasing efficiency. Larger furnaces were built which could handle heavier charges of iron and even greater economies of scale were achieved.
The high quality of the resulting iron made the production of delicate products possible. Iron could now be used to make hollowware and pots, but much more cheaply than brass.
Meanwhile, in 1712, Thomas Newcomen invented the first commercially viable steam engine which created a substantial new market for the iron smelting industry. Coolbrookdale was a major maker of iron cylinders and by 1758 the foundry had made over 100 steam engines designed by Newcomen.
The 3rd generation Darbys erected the famous Ironbridge in 1779 which spans the river Severn. This was made possible by the new coke smelting process, as charcoal produced iron would have been prohibitively expensive.
Furthermore, a Cornish inventor and engineer, Richard Trevithick, perfected a boiler with high pressure. This led to his famous railway locomotive in 1802. And of course, it was born at the Coalbrookdale works!
Garden Products
“…cleverley designed seats ornamented with natural foliage, olive, fern, passion flower…” J.B. Waring (celebrated Victorian architect) 1862
The 1830s witnessed a problem of a growing urban population living in cramped dirty spaces. The answer came in the form of public parks, which offered some relief from overcrowding and provided a space for fresh air and healthy exercise.
Public parks were carefully designed. Trees were planted alongside winding paths, and cast iron benches were placed in picturesque areas. Cast iron garden furniture was needed for these new parks, and consequently iron founders benefitted as a result. One of the first public parks, Derby Arboretum, which opened in 1840, contained an impressive 350 garden seats, many of which were Coalbrookdale garden benches.
Garden furniture was intended to be both beautiful and useful. Designs for the furniture drew heavily on nature and gothic or medieval patterns. Coalbrookdale garden benches in particular featured plant motifs such as ferns, nasturtiums, oak and ivy. The highlight of the park or estate garden was often an impressive and highly decorated fountain.
Cast iron furniture also found its way to the gardens of the rich and then filtered down to the gardens of the emerging middle class. The Coalbrookdale Company engaged industrial designers and mass-produced garden seats, garden buildings, fountains, gates, railings, lawn rollers, plant stands and urns, which enabled the everyday Victorian to design their own garden landscape.
Dr Christopher Dresser – Design Pioneer (1834 – 1904)
Born in Glasgow in 1834, Dresser enrolled into the London School Of Design in 1847. At the tender age of 13, he was to witness a revolution in commercial design at the school. The secretary, Henry Cole, steered the curriculum towards the needs of the nation’s manufacturers. Contacts were made with these companies and they were encouraged to sponsor awards and commission designs.
Dresser appears to have formed many contacts within industry as his pottery and silk designs won several school prizes. Rubbing shoulders with leading manufacturers at a commercially focused design school, primed Dresser for a stellar career in industrial design.
Dresser then studied botany at what became Imperial College, London. In the mid-Victorian era, botany was considered an essential part of the study of ornamentation. He taught botany at his London School and became an authority on botany applied to art manufacturing. Dresser published celebrated botany design books and was appointed a fellow of the Edinburgh Botanical and the Linnean Societies.
By 1860, Dresser became more involved in product design and received several commissions from British manufacturers for products to be premiered at the London International Exhibition 1862.
Publications & Design Clients
Celebrated in the UK and the US, Dresser’s publications were bestsellers in the industrial design genre: Modern Ornamentation (1886); Studies In Design (1876); Principles Of Decorative Design (1873); The Art Of Decorative Design (1862). Dresser’s books gave advice and direction for the amateur, designer and student on subjects such as interior decoration, theory of colour and principles of ornamentation.
Dresser published his seminal work Japan: It’s Architecture, Art And Art Manufacturers (1882) and along with artists such as Rossetti and Burne-Jones, makers like William Morris and architects like Godwin, he is regarded as one of the founders of the Aesthetic and Design Reform Movements.
During his career, Dresser designed for an impressive list of manufacturers of indoor and outdoor furniture, textiles, glass, carpets, linoleum, ceramics, tiles, wallpaper and metal products. The client list included the Coalbrookdale Iron Company, Chubb & Co., Libertys, Elkington & Co., Wedgewood, James Dixon, Aspinall & Co., James Cooper, Ault Faience, Minton, Old Hall Porcelain, Linthorpe Pottery, John Crossley & Sons, William Booty, Loveridge & Co., Thomas Knight and many more. This illustrates why Dr Christopher Dresser is regarded as the first true freelance industrial designer.
Coalbrookdale Garden Benches – The Waterplant
On 18/2/1867, at the public records office, the Coalbrookdale Iron Company registered this Christopher Dresser Waterplant design. The patent number granted was 206162.
Moreover, the Coalbrookdale product catalogue of 1875 features the Waterplant bench on page 251. Furthermore, Dresser offered his own designs at the Universal Exhibition 1867, which included the ‘Water Plant cast iron garden seat’. Additionally, the bench and chair were also exhibited in Paris 1878, London in 1871, and in Vienna in 1873.
The design was very unusual at the time, when most Victorian designs were a cacophony of ornamentation. However, Dresser rebelled and utilized the waterplant form to convey a simplicity of outline.
The range included various benches of different lengths and a chair. It was possible to order the seat and back in oak slats or the back in a cast waterplant design with cast iron or wooden slats.
In terms of our reproductions, our accurate and high-quality reproduction is cast in recycled aluminum. Additionally, we manufacture the bench in lengths of 6ft, 5ft, or 4ft, and we also reproduce the Waterplant chair. Furthermore, the benches and chair have cross members, and the end bolts are made of solid brass, just like the original. Moreover, to eliminate any maintenance, the slats on our reproductions are made of solid cast aluminum.
Coalbrookdale Garden Benches – The Medieval
The Medieval bench and chair by Christopher Dresser was registered by the Coalbrookdale Company on 22nd April 1870 and was granted a public records office registration number of 240809. The influence of 12th and 13th century manuscripts can be clearly seen in Dresser’s design (original examples of this design are on show at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Coalbrookdale Museum Of Iron in Ironbridge, Shropshire).
Dresser, the celebrated Victorian designer and author, preached the idea that even mass-produced products should receive good and innovative design. Moreover, between 1867 and the 1880s, the Coalbrookdale Foundry in Shropshire commissioned Dr Dresser to create distinctive garden furniture, indoor furniture, hall, and stick stands.
The Medieval design included benches of different lengths and a single chair. Furthermore, the seat and back could be ordered with oak slats, or the back could be cast with cast iron or wood slats.
Our accurate and high-quality reproductions are cast in recycled aluminium. Furthermore, we produce the Medieval bench in lengths of 6ft, 5ft, or 4ft, and we also make the single chair. Additionally, the benches and chair have cross members, and the end bolts are made of solid brass, just like the original. To eliminate any maintenance, the slats on our reproductions are made of solid cast aluminium.
Christopher Dresser Table – circa 1870
This exceptional Coalbrookdale occasional or bistro table stands as a testament to the enduring allure of Victorian design. Crafted by the esteemed designer Christopher Dresser, its enduring appeal lies in its meticulous craftsmanship and distinctive aesthetic.
At the core of this table’s design lies its tripartite bird feet base, elegantly converging into a central rope column adorned with delicate swan supports. Moreover, the base exudes a sense of organic fluidity, enriched by the intricate details that adorn it.
Adorning the table is a 60cm diameter round top, featuring a captivating Star of David motif intricately interwoven with geometric patterns. Furthermore, the top is finished with a finely beaded edge, adding a touch of refinement to its overall appearance. This seamless fusion of geometric precision and ornate detailing epitomizes the Victorian era’s penchant for elaborate design.
While the original rendition of this table was fashioned from cast iron, modern advancements have paved the way for the utilization of solid cast aluminum in its construction. This material substitution not only ensures durability but also eliminates the need for extensive maintenance, rendering it a practical choice for contemporary settings.
Despite the material update, meticulous attention to detail has been preserved in the reproduction of this table. Particularly, the legs have been faithfully recreated to stay true to Dresser’s original vision. It’s noteworthy that many reproductions of this Dresser table often feature the correct top design but may overlook the accuracy of the legs. Consequently, this discrepancy arises when foundries opt to utilize the legs from their standard aluminum dining tables, deviating from the authentic design.
