A BESPOKE staircase made by Exmoor-based West Country Blacksmiths has been shortlisted for a national architecture award.

The staircase was created for a property in the nature reserve of Sartfell Mountain on the Isle of Man, where it was completed, but everything was designed and made at the forge at Allerford on the Holnicote Estate.

It has been shortlisted for the Architects’ Journal architecture specification award in the category of ‘stairs and lifts’. The building in which it is housed has been shortlisted for ‘house of the year’.

The staircase is a striking feature of the house designed by London architects Foster Lomas, which was founded by friends Greg Lomas and Will Foster, who both grow up in Somerset. The metalwork concept was developed between CAD (computed aided design) expert John Hesp, of Porlock, and West Country Blacksmiths.

It took the team over seven months to bring the project to the stage at which is could be sent to the Isle of Man – on two lorries – and the West Country Blacksmiths craftsmen then spent over seven days installing the staircase.

Read the full story, with more pictures, in this week’s Free Press (February 8).