Millennium Sundial

As part of the Mobberley Parish Council's millennium celebrations and in conjunction with feature landscaping on Beech Hill a metal sundial was suggested and BROADBENTS were commissioned to make it.

This type of sundial is known as an Armillary Sundial and was designed by Dave Broadbent and made at the Forge in Mobberley. Our picture shows the work being installed by A Mottershead and R Abbott both of whom have worked for Broadbents initially as apprentices and a substantial number years as qualified men.

The item was forged in mild steel, which was protected against corrosion by galvanising. The finish colour is a metal silver powder coated, which is both durable and is colour fast and designed to increases the visual impact when viewed against the surrounding dark green hedges.

Broadbents are pleased to be associated with the Mobberley Parish Council Millennium Project, which also coincided with the refurbishment and supply of new roadside signs marking the local Conservation area.

Copy Update 20.02.02

The gates are now nearing completion and will be re-hung on Monday the 25th of February.

Their restoration has revealed the very high standard of build quality carried out in their original construction. The removal of years of paint and corrosion exposes for the first time the wonderful quality of the wrought iron material and the crisp and exacting detail to which it was forged. The quality of materials used has resulted in nearly all of the small fine detail items being able to be fully restored.

This is a great example of the gate maker's craft, to include the centrally radiating design is very exacting and requires careful thought for assembly. It is constructed in the traditional manner of mortise and tennons to the frame and would have required many hours of forging and trial assembly.

The top finials are in cast iron and again are clean and sharp in their casting. There are also four number cast iron details pieces that were introduced to each gate leaf. These represent examples of the foundrymans craft in trying to emulate the wrought iron detail for gates. Something, which in later years threatened blacksmith's livelihoods, but very successfully executed here.

The gates have been hand painted with two primer coats of paint and once hung will receive subsequent coats of paint on site.

As well as being open to the public this property is also The National Trusts Mercia Regional Office and has undergone a major refurbishment programme this winter. The completion of the gates will coincide with the new opening at Easter.