A surprising survivor at HMS Collingwood, the Royal Navy’s main training base in Hampshire, was a large cast iron barrel-vaulted canopy acting as a ‘porch’ over the main entrance. It was in very decrepit condition and we were commissioned to dismantle, restore and re-erect it.
Less than 18 months later, the canopy was hit by a large vehicle and we had to repeat the whole process! Fortunately, it has survived unscathed since then.
As you can see from the photos, the glazing consisted of many small shaped panes individually set into cast iron rebates, easily the most time-consuming part of the work.
