- Reinstatement of historic Dokett railings
Following an absence of over 50 years, BB+C has assisted Queens’ College with the reinstallation of railings along Queens’ Lane outside the Dokett Building, itself refurbished in 2014.
The new railings for Queens’ College were forged by blacksmith, Mike Overall. Fabricated in a mild steel to a bespoke design, these railings are a reworking of the original scheme at a reduced height. Sizes, spacing and fixings have been based on an original photograph from 1912 and traditional metalworking pattern books assisted with the detail for the piers.
Photograph from 1912, https://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/visiting-the-college/history/college-facts/the-buildings/dokett-building-history
Photographs from 2019
Blacksmith, Mike Overall, is shown below on the left using techniques steeped in tradition. Architect Robert McKinley, on the right, demonstrates that blacksmithing takes great skill and that it is not easy to keep the rod straight.
