Iron railings conservation

Public consultation proved overall positive and now councillors will decide whether to further protect Stornoway’s iconic iron-cast railings with an extension of the Stornoway Conservation Area.

A sizable area of Stornoway is already covered within the Conservation area, but the decision to include Goathill Road and Goathill Crescent will be put to council members this week.

It’s believed that the cast-iron railings present in these streets are of importance as the Comhairle report states: “It was concluded that the exclusion of a sizeable group of cast iron railings in the Goathill area was a significant omission.”

Stornoway has one of the most significant collections of domestic architectural ironworks anywhere in Scotland and the aim of the conservation zone extension is to further protect this standing.

By the end of the 19th century, Scotland was the leading manufacturer of architectural

ironworks in the world – and many homes in Stornoway, like the mainland counterparts, began to be decorated with cast iron railings, gates and balconies.

During World War II however, much of the ironwork in mainland towns was melted down to provide raw materials for the war effort.

The costs and logistics of shipping ironworks from island towns meant that many kept their railings – leaving Stornoway as one of the best kept examples of present day.

Conservation move to preserve iron railings

24 November 2014