The use of the fireplace as a decorative focal point as well as a source of heat in a room has a long history. Due to the individual nature of these decorative designs, these fireplaces were often only available to the wealthy and were usually made out of stone, brick or, in the Georgian period, plaster. The rise of the middle class in the late Georgian and early Victorian periods saw a demand for cheaper mass produced materials as the resultant housing boom of the industrial revolution took hold. One material that was eminently suited to mass production was cast iron. That suitability, coupled with technical improvements that led to thinner and thinner castings and improved productions methods gave the new urban middle and working classes access to highly decorative cast iron fireplaces that would have unaffordable a century before.


As a result, decorative and stylish fireplaces moved from the preserve of the wealthy to that of the common man helped by companies producing catalogues that gave a huge range of choice and design. As with all decorative items, the design of cast iron fireplaces followed the latest trend and incorporated elements from such movements as Arts and Crafts or Art Deco as their design ethos took hold. Cast iron is still an important material in the manufacture of fireplaces and will continue to be so.

At The Foundry we have been producing cast iron fireplaces for over twenty years. We are now one of the few foundries in the UK, possibly the only one, manufacturing our own range of cast iron fireplaces which include examples from the Georgian, Victorian, Regency, Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. As well as producing our own range of cast iron fireplaces and back panels, we can also, in conjunction with H & H Fires Ltd, a company who operate from our premises, renovate antique fires and ranges, supply replacement parts such as grates or canopies and supply bespoke cast iron fire places. We can also source gas trays, tiles and other fittings and recommend installers for any type of cast iron fireplace. All of the cast iron fireplaces that we produce can be fitted with a grate for solid fuel or a gas tray for a living flame effect.


As well as cast iron fireplaces, our customer base also covers grey, ductile and alloyed irons for the engineering, decorative, architectural and artistic sectors. We can supply castings from one off up to small to medium batch production using Alkali Phenolic resin bonded sands. Our workforce of highly skilled moulders can work from complex loose pattern equipment, particularly where low volumes are required, whilst our moulding line is suited for batch production. Our long trading history, coupled with an investment programme that has enabled us to keep up with modern production methods and environmental legislation has meant that we have been involved with many projects requiring ductile iron castings and continue to be so. All our cast iron fireplaces are produced to the current ISO material specification, ISO 185 2005, along with any further certification which a customer may require. Our diverse customer base has also given us experience in a wide range of other applications for cast iron , including pumps and valves, forges, foundries and rolling mills, automotive and aerospace, a wide range of OEMs, quarries and mines, railways and rolling stock, local authorities and artists and sculptors. We also have long term trading relationships with local pattern makers, machine shops and surface finishers which enable us to quote for the complete supply of the finished casting.

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