Turners Ornamental Leadwork: January 2012

Turners - Making History at National Trust's Blicking

Turner's latest commission has been to create a bespoke cistern feature for National Trust property Blicking Hall.

The brief for the new piece, destined for the courtyard - a busy visitor thoroughfare - was to provide a contemporary yet sympathetic piece which echoed elements of the historic architecture.

In creating the design, Turners' worked closely with Trust staff to incorporate key motifs found around the buildings, which tell the story of the site.

This process was in itself a nod to posterity, since the original motifs themselves would have been conceived by successive owners and architects to reflect the unfolding fortunes of the incumbent families.

After the design was agreed, a painstaking process of molding in wax was undertaken, to create all the elements for the final pattern boards.

The finished cistern can now be viewed by the public in situ, in all its glory.

David Wynne Stags Restored to Greatness

Painstaking restoration work has saved a Norfolk art treasure as Turner's reinstates twin stags to lofty heights at Ditchingham.

The paired stags, a unique work of art by celebrated British sculptor David Wynne OBE, had suffered structural damage due to inadequate support fixings, which threatened their stability.

Turner's faced a major challenge in removing, restoring and re-installing such priceless, delicate and unique sculptural pieces.

Turners - Finalists in LCA Murdoch Awards

Turners Ornamental Leadwork have been shortlisted as finalists for this year's prestigious Murdoch Award "the ultimate accolade in leadwork" - from The Lead Contractors Association.

The Norfolk leadworks has been selected by a group of industry-peers for the firm's specialist work on the Chelsea M&G Garden for Bunny Guinness.

Guinness Garden Scoops RHS Silver Gilt

Visit the RHS website by clicking on the image above to view more pictures of our award-winning garden, including an innovative 360 degree panorama!

Turner's 'Arts & Crafts' Designs Praised by TV Style guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

"Bunny Guinness's garden is actually a bit like a walk-in William Morris wallpaper, because here, nature rules OK. It's curvaceous, it's crammed full, its voluptuous.

"It's about vegetative beauty - and also it's not all that highly coloured - but, just like a William Morris print, look closely at the content.

"Look at this fabulous artichoke. William Morris loved things to be pretty in the garden, but he loved it even more when they were beautiful and useful." Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.

Turner's Chelsea Garden Work Unveiled

Fellow collaborators Brian of Turners and top plantsman John of The Romantic Garden Nursery enjoy the view from the glass platform at the M&G Show Garden.

"It's been hard work with not a few technical challenges - but looking out over the garden now, to see what we've all achieved together, it is really magnificent," said Turner.

Taking many months from first concept to final realisation, the leadwork aspects of the project provide structure, contrast and detailing to Guinness's high-intensity planting scheme.

The finished plot is a design homage to the 'grow-your-own' concept. Raised beds, dotted with decorative lead artichokes radiate from the central hub of Turner's dunking pool, to provide a productive yet tranquil garden oasis for the urban family.

Bunny Guinness talks about the ideas and inspiration behind her new Chelsea design.