Ironmongery Introduction Pre-Georgian (Up to About 1750)

Historic Home Guide Ironmongery Introduction Pre-Georgian (up to about 1750) Buildings in Edinburgh’s Properties as early as the durable material which World Heritage Site, which 15th century survive in the has already lasted some encompasses both the Old Old Town, but not many 300 years. Every piece is and New Towns, are a living of the original doors or therefore unique, although record of the community their original ironmongery there are certain basic that built and used them, remain, because these patterns and styles. Doors reflecting craft skills early buildings have fallen were made out of boards, and available materials, into disrepair over the years ‘cross-boarded’, rather than styles and aspirations or have been remodelled, panels (which didn’t come and personal whims. and have lost their original in until the 18th century) Appropriate door furniture ironmongery in favour and generally hung on is a very important part of new sets or modern strap hinges fixed to the of any historical building, replicas. Any original face of the door, opened especially as it is the ironmongery remaining is by a thumb latch attached first detail you focus on therefore of great value to a flat iron backplate and and touch as you enter a and should be retained and secured with a large stock building. Its removal and looked after. lock in a wooden case inappropriate replacement fixed to the inside face with modern alternatives Early ironmongery was of the door. Additional gives a ‘fake’ feel to the hand-made (forged) by security could be achieved building and should be local blacksmiths out with large iron bolts. avoided. of wrought iron, a very The purpose of this booklet is to help homeowners Latches to understand and enjoy the door furniture of These are vertical handles their homes, and to give fixed to a backplate, in turn guidance on maintenance fixed to the door with hand- and where necessary made nails. A thumb latch reinstatement. In the positioned above the Edinburgh World Heritage Site this subject can be divided into three overlapping historical periods: • pre-Georgian 230 (up to 1750) • Georgian (1750 - 1830) • Victorian (1830 - 1900) Please note all measurements are in millimetres (mm) 60 Latch and 2 Turling Pin Pre-Georgian (up to about 1750) Tirling pins the National Museums of Hinges Scotland are typical, with a A variant on the upright Heavy cross-banded doors leaf-shaped top containing handle is the tirling pin, were hung on iron strap the thumb latch and a the precursor of the bell, to hinges bolted through horseshoe shape at the attract the home owner’s the thickness of the door base. Large base plates attention. This consisted with hand-made bolts or sometimes had additional of a twisted wrought iron nails. These range from central fixing lugs. bar or a serrated bar (often simple horizontal straps, formed into a handle) fixed for example for a cart shed either directly to the door or basement door, to very or more often onto a flat ornate types, such as for base plate nailed to the church doors. The iron door. The visitor would strap was doubled over at run an attached iron ring the hinge end to form a or bar with loop up and 295 loop, so that the door could down the twisted metal be hung on a metal pin bar to make a noise. Most fixed into the stone wall. examples are mounted on a These doors had no timber shaped backplate, and also doorframe, but would sometimes incorporate a sit into a stone opening, thumb latch. Two examples generally recessed to form salvaged from the Old 110 a check for the door. Old Town and in the care of pins can still be seen in Latch and Turling Pin for Exterior Door stone door openings where new doors have replaced the original arrangement. handle lifts a metal bar circles, diamonds, dates passing through the door or initials. A pull handle, Locks to release the latch inside. often rounded in section, Early locks and their keys is mounted on this plate were very large, formed The earliest dated surviving and is frequently from wrought and cast examples from the Old decorated at the junction iron, to allow space for the Town have large highly with the base plate with hand-made movement, and decorative symmetrical fine curved leaves are generally contained in flat iron back plates cut or scrolls. timber boxes (stock locks). with interlocking curved They are dead rim locks: edges, and often with the Surviving examples on ‘dead’ because they only same pattern repeated at the original doors are have a bolt but not a latch the top and base. These very rare. Acheson operated by a knob which were fixed to the door with House (1633), which was comes later (see Georgian); handmade iron nails or extensively repaired in and ‘rim’ because they pins. Sometimes the plate 1937, has good examples of are fixed to the inside is decorated with incised modern blacksmith-made face of the door. Stock tool marks or cut-outs with reinterpreted latches. locks were made locally 3 and their mechanisms are Replacement and suppliers very individualistic. The lock case was generally • Where replacing lost ornate ironmongery such as made of timber, a cheaper decorative latches and tirling pins, true authenticity material than metal can really only be achieved by commissioning an artist which was reserved for blacksmith. Careful research and design is needed the mechanism, and was to establish a suitable pattern. There may be clues of decorated with incised heights, sizes and types of fitments around the original lines, as in the oak example door frame. illustrated. • If this is prohibitively expensive, a good range of simple wrought iron blacksmith-made ironmongery such as pull handles and latches, strap hinges and bolts is available from specialist suppliers by searching on the internet. Ensure that the size of the piece is suitable and that it is unlacquered. • Ironmongery should be wrought (ie heated and worked by hand) and not cast (formed from hot metal poured into moulds), which has a different and inappropriate Locks are often disregarded surface appearance. as very utilitarian objects and as they are often well made they can withstand much neglect. In fact they (about 1750 to 1830) are often a product of very Georgian skilled craftsmanship and By the Within an overall uniformity of historical significance. second half there are subtle variations If a lock is in need of repair of the 18th in the design and quality. seek advice from a skilled century the For instance, the finest locksmith familiar with old construction materials were used on locks. Don’t oil or grease a of doors internal doors in the most lock, as this goes tacky in had changed and the important rooms, less time, affecting the smooth typical Georgian door high quality on external running of the mechanism is six-panelled or later main doors and cast iron and attracting dust and grit, four-panelled. Door on external basement and eventually grinding down furniture developed too, cellar doors. Much of the mechanism. Often, old with the beginnings of the original door furniture locks won’t meet modern the Industrial Revolution, remains, but a considerable insurance standards. In and greater availability amount, particularly from this situation the original of materials and new internal doors, has been lock should be kept on the machinery. Door furniture lost over the years. When door and supplemented is a very distinctive feature restoring a door, the with a suitable discreet of Edinburgh’s Georgian original furniture should modern lock. architecture. always be retained. As in all matters of examples. Most of the – see ‘Maintenance and restoration, when replacing commercially available Suppliers’. Sometimes missing or inappropriate architectural door furniture door furniture has been door furniture, examination described as ‘Georgian’ is replaced in the past with of similar properties not acceptable for use in good quality contemporary which have retained the New Town because it is items and, in this instance, original features will be based on English models. retention of these is invaluable, though care Good reproductions of preferred to replacement must be taken to avoid some Edinburgh door with poor reproduction copying inappropriate furniture are available fittings. Nameplates Nameplates should be brass, with incised lettering. These were originally filled with black wax, but are now filled with black paint. Small plates for residents’ names are Door Numerals (Original Pattern) screwed to the backplate Numerals on stonework above or of the bell pull outside the adjacent to the door and The earliest numerals door to the common stair formed part of a painted are likely to have been or the flat. Larger brass panel, for example circular small brass plates on plates, used by advocates or shield-shaped with a which Roman or Arabic and other professionals, shaded border. Numerals characters were engraved are usually screwed to painted on fanlights and filled with black the mid-rail (muntin) of were probably a later wax. For restoration the door. When large new introduction. Numerals, purposes, filling with paint nameplates are required by backplates and other is preferable because wax companies these should be items of door furniture crazes in the sun. Brass placed on the wall beside should be secured to plates were superseded by the door and should exactly doors by a threaded rod cast brass numerals, and cover the face of the stone and held in place by a nut six complete and different to which they are fixed. and washer sunk below sets have been identified the inner face of the door in the New Town, two in so that the method of Roman characters and fixing is invisible, or secret.

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