I’m making a plea this week for the frilly bits – it seems to me that we have lost many of the pretty period details on the exterior of our homes which we consider excessive or unnecessary to the fabric of the building.  Many Victorian and Edwardian houses have completely lost their little ribbon of cast or wrought iron balustrading at first floor level, which visually creates a balcony, even when the space is too tight to be useful. On other homes the elaborate decorative ironwork above a porch which gave a decorative wham to the entrance, and an exciting viewing balcony, has either been dispensed with altogether or replaced by 2by2 timbers or cheap modern ironwork in a style that jars.
It is notable that it has been almost impossible for me to find a good image of the kind of feature I’m talking about. There’s a real danger that as these period details age they will never be replaced or restored and new generations will not even know that they were ever there.
For some brief advice on how to look after any ironwork you are lucky enough to still have see:
https://www.periodliving.co.uk/advice/maintaining-wrought-and-cast-ironwork-in-old-homes/
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