An iron foundry is a works in which iron is melted and poured into moulds to produce cast-iron objects. Foundries manufactured an enormous range of goods, from structural columns, railings and gates to fireplaces, firebacks, stoves, garden furniture, urns, fountains, hall stands, door stops and boot scrapers.
Britain's foundry industry expanded dramatically during the Industrial Revolution. The Coalbrookdale Company in Shropshire became famous for both engineering and decorative castings, and the Carron Company near Falkirk, founded in 1759, produced grates, stoves and cannon on a vast scale. In the Victorian period, Scottish foundries such as Walter Macfarlane's Saracen Foundry in Glasgow exported ornamental ironwork, fountains and bandstands around the world, and countless regional foundries supplied local builders. Patterns were carved in wood and pressed into sand moulds, and good castings show crisp detail and smooth surfaces. Many pieces carry foundry names, pattern numbers or registration marks that help with identification and dating. Collectors look for strong design, sharp casting, original paint layers and sound metal, checking carefully for cracks and welded repairs. Reproduction castings taken from originals are common and are often softer in detail.
