iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

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

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

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.

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

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.

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

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.

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

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

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

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.

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

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.

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

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

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

I bet they got theirs replaced PDQ though afterwards ;)

Re: iron railing in front gardens of houses
 

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