The external lantern at Ilkley Manor House has been in need of restoration for a while and thanks to a local business has been restored and returned to its position on the house in time for the Jubilee weekend.
When Paul and Tom Bromley of Burnt Orchid, offered their services to remove the lantern, restore and conserve as many elements as possible and return it the Trust board were delighted to accept.
When the lantern was dismantled it was found that it was made by Foster and Pullen. Foster & Pullen started making public lantern equipment in 1896 in Bradford, the model that was at the Manor House was made by Avil Works and it is a square lantern fitted with “staybrite” reflectors, it originally had 4 gas burners.
In April 1940 the lighting engineers at Foster & Pullen set to converting the gas lanterns in Bradford to comply with wartime starlight conditions giving them 100 yards of visibility.
‘From the little information found on the lantern the paint scheme was a painted black hood and the copper frame left polished, so we tried our best to restore it to its former glory’ says Paul.
Burnt Orchid is a locally based business based in Ilkley and founded by Tom. Tom has been joined by his father Paul and they specialise in a full range of metal works such as blacksmithing, copper smithing and welding and fabricate bespoke items. Some of Tom’s work can be found at Friends of Ham & Community Cutlery. It is also sold in the Solar Art Gallery at the Manor House.
‘With both of our experience combined, good work ethic and attention to detail we aren’t afraid to take on difficult jobs, such as the Manor House Lantern! We thoroughly enjoyed working on the lantern and adding to the rich history this lantern holds.’ says Tom Bromley.
The work on the Manor House lantern uses all these skills and the before and after images show the amazing job that Tom and Paul have done. The newly restored lantern will last for many years to come. The restored lantern was put back in its original position on the Manor House on Monday 30 May.
Sir Rodney Brook, President of the Manor House expressed the thanks of the Manor House Trust to Paul and Tom for their skilled work bringing the lantern back to its former glory.
If you are interested in the work Burnt Orchid do, you can find information about the business at www.burntorchid.co.uk
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