Dorothea Restorations Company Profile
Dorothea Restorations is one of the UK’s leading specialists in industrial and architectural metalwork. The company was established in 1974 and has a highly respected reputation with clients throughout the UK, combining traditional metalworking skills with modern engineering practices.
Dorothea Restorations has worked with a varied range of clients, including English Heritage, The National Trust, Network Rail, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, museums, water boards, local authorities and private individuals. The company delivers a comprehensive range of conservation, repair and restoration services and works with a range of materials such as cast iron, copper, steel, brass, bronze, tin, zinc, lead and gilded/decorative finishes, as well as masonry, carpentry, joinery and glazing.
Services
The company’s aim is to provide a superior range of products and services for anyone who is working with traditional engineering or architectural metalwork. The skilled and dedicated team will guide the client through every stage of a project, regardless of its size and complexity. Each project is individually supervised and on-going support, planned maintenance and emergency call-outs can be incorporated as required. Services include:
- Conservation, Restoration and Repair: The conservation, restoration and repair work services are aimed at retaining as much existing material as possible, repairing it sympathetically, rather than replacing it. The artefact will be recorded fully in detail, cleaned, repaired, finished and reassembled.
- New Build and Replication: Dorothea is a specialist in creating new structures or reinstating missing features in sensitive locations. The team utilises traditional crafts and materials to manufacture products such as gates and railings, bandstands, glasshouses and domes.
- Consultancy: Clients both in the UK and overseas can receive consultancy services which includes condition surveys, conservation reports, repairs specifications, project costing, project management and operational and safety training. These services ensure that even the most complex projects run smoothly from beginning to end.
Architectural Metalwork
Dorothea Restorations is the leading choice of architects, main contractors and building professionals and the company operates as both consultants and contractors. The consultancy services are designed to assist the client in ensuring their project goes according to plan. As contractors, the team can work on a huge array of projects as a subcontractor or main contractor and routinely carries out contracts of all sizes from simple repairs of individual items, through to the restoration or construction of completely new structures. Dorothea Restorations’ work can be found anywhere which demands the most exceptional standards of craftsmanship and includes:
- Glazed Structures: The specialist team are experts in metal and glass and wood and glass composite structures. The service includes condition surveys, repair specifications, paint sampling, pattern making, casting repairs, blacksmithing, cleaning and finishing. The team works with all forms of glass and offers specialist facilities for the repair and renewal of leaded glass.
- Gates and Railings: There is a wide range of options for gates and railings including repairs and restoration services, new traditionally crafted gates, bespoke solutions and a railing service which includes the Buxtonia Conservation Railing System for sensitive and conservation areas.
- Sculptures and Fountains: The range of services includes condition surveys and repair specifications through to major restoration projects to bring sculptures and fountains back to their former glory.
- Staircases and Balconies: Dorothea Restorations provides a range of technical and design services for projects involving metal staircases, balconies or balustrades. The master craftsmen can recreate authentic detailing, create exact replicas and work with surviving fabric. Many projects often require work to timber or masonry and the team has the capability to work with all of these elements for a one-stop-shop solution.
- Iron Bridges: From road and rail bridges to footbridges within parks, town centres or coastal locations, Dorothea Restorations can carry out repairs, strengthening, cleaning, finishing and replacement in all areas of a bridge.
- Iron Structures: Iron structures range from bandstands and shelters to plant houses and the skilled team at Dorothea Restorations offers a complete service including condition surveys, conservation reports, repair specifications and project costing and works include repairs, strengthening, cleaning, finishing and replacement of missing elements.
- Miscellaneous Metalwork: Dorothea Restorations offers a comprehensive repair, restoration and replacement build service for anything from weather vanes and park benches to historically valuable artefacts.
Engineering and Industrial Heritage
Dorothea Restorations was formed from a dedication and commitment to machines that helped the Industrial Revolution. This passion continues to run deep through the company today and the team has been involved in numerous high profile engineering and industrial archaeological projects that use steam, water or wind technology. All work is carried out under the guidance of a detailed conservation policy, with the key objective being to retain as much of the existing fabric and original features as possible.
- Industrial Machinery: Work has been carried out for both public and private organisations, museums and preservation trusts and covers machinery of all sizes and types such as beam engines and pumps, boilers, locomotives, road vehicles and agricultural and industrial equipment. Each project is assessed individually with the client and bespoke solutions made to suit every environment.
- Windmills and Watermills: The company is a specialist in mill conservation services and has worked on over 150 windmill and watermill restoration projects for thirty years. Projects have included sails, sweeps and stocks, mill shafting, gears and bearings, millstone assembly, metal and timber hurst frames for waterwheels and turbines and installation and dressing of vats, horses, hoppers, shoes, damsels, sluice gates, debris gratings, metal and timber bridges, culverts and watercourses, lightning conductors, electric drives and water recirculation systems.
Dorothea Restorations is committed to providing a wide and varied range of industrial and architectural metalwork services to private and commercial clients throughout the UK. The experienced and skilled team welcomes enquiries and can offer guidance and consultancy services for any metalwork project. The company prides itself on providing ethical conservation, original ideas, robust engineering, personal service and on-going support for any project regardless of its size and complexity.