Holland Park Earls Court | gates and lanterns

Description: Removing the paint in a gentle un-abrasive way uncovered a clearer more detailed view of the physical evidence about the gates.

These Grade II listed gates were brought from Belgium by the 3^rd Lord Holland in 1836, then restored and extended to fit their current position in the early 20^th Century. The Ironwork Studio carried out condition assessments before formalising the nature of the conservation approach and work to be carried out in a major overhaul. Throughout conservation work, The Ironwork Studio compiled the workshop restoration reports, recording work carried out and new information found. During this process we were able to confirm that the original gates were of 18^th Century origin and clearly identify the different craftsman’s hand that made the ‘extension’ in the early 20^th Century as well as the different materials used. With the majority of leaf work being replacements, we were able to identify just two originals and then attribute the other leaves to different phases of restoration. As the work had been chemically stripped, as opposed to grit blasted, the physical evidence uncovered underneath the paint was much clearer that in would have been otherwise, giving an opportunity to spot things that would otherwise have been missed. We found the tell-tail signs of fire welds joining sections together to form the main gate frame as well as identifying different stages of work through materials and colour. On such a fine example of traditional construction techniques, the decision was taken to remove signs of previous inappropriate modern repairs, as these distracted from the artistic nature and quality of the finished work.