What is it about our bronze memorial plaques

that gives you so much more than

quality craftsmanship?

What is it that you're getting beyond metalwork? Maybe you're looking for a memorial tree plaque situated in a special place. Somewhere to reflect, bringing back fond happy memories of your loved one. Perhaps you want a pictorial plaque. Maybe you're having a plaque set in a garden of remembrance or unveiled at a special ceremony in honour of their achievements. You can have all of these things crafted in foundry cast bronze but there's more to creating your plaque than just metalwork.

More than the craftsmanship...

There's a great responsibility when making your bronze memorial plaque. The responsibility of creating something that captures the memory of somone who has the love and respect of family, friends and colleagues. We're always mindful that we're creating something that's celebrating someones life. Always aware that you want something very personal reflecting how important your loved one was and continues to be in your life.

Apart from the craftsmanship, you're investing in something that totally captures their memory, their uniqueness. Your plaque will convey all the feelings, emotions you want to express. The metalwork craftsmanship is only a small part of what we do.

This 150mm x 250mm hot cast bronze plaque was unveiled at a memorial ceremony for Major James Howe Director of Music for The Band of the Scots Guards 1959 -1974. The plaque features custom designed text. We've consulted with Alan Howe, Major Howe's son to get the memorial wording, typefaces and typography to his satisfaction.

Photo by kind permission of Mr Alan Howe.

Consultation, sketches and Proof Artwork.

To make sure that your plaque is a fitting tribute we will discuss what you want to achieve. It's an important part of the process before we start to craft your plaque. Knowing what made someone special makes each plaque unique. We encourage you to have your creative input. We'll show you proof artwork and sketches so you can confirm that everything is to your satisfaction before we proceed with the metalwork. Please give us your feedback so we can make sure it's perfect for you.

Making your plaque unique.

We can personalise your plaque in various ways. We can give you a plaque that's an unusual shape. You don't have to have a rectangular one. We make the back plates so you can have any size and shape you like. We can give your plaque a plain or decorative border. Also you're not limited on the typefaces you can use for your memorial wording. We can create the typefaces for your plaque from scratch. The background colour can be painted or traditionally patinated a variety of colours. The lettering can be polished to gloss or satin finish.

Bas relief bronze plaques.

This 150mm x 250mm cast bronze plaque was unveiled at a memorial ceremony for Johnny Spice, founder of The Johnny Spice Swing Orchestra. This plaque features sculpted bas relief motifs of a clarinet and saxophone. We made sculptures based on original artwork. These sculptures are approximately 75mm tall.

Photo by kind permission of Mrs Pamela Spice & Mr Alan Howe.

If there's a special achievement that you want to mark on your plaque then perhaps you'd like to show that with a pictorial representation in the form of a hand sculpted or photographic flat bas relief. You can have a motif that represents their life's work, hobby or interests. We can even make a plaque that's mainly picture based with inset memorial wording or a verse rather than a regular text based plaque.

Making sure everything goes to plan.

On the day of your plaque unveiling ceremony or special anniversary date you want to know everything is going to go to plan. You want to make sure everyone is so proud of what they see, how it especially honours your loved one. We spend between 5 and 12 weeks creating your plaque making sure this happens. We ensure that your plaque will be ready in plenty of time for your important day. We'll work with you and the local authority delivering the specification that you both require.

Fixing your plaque.

We can sort out any special fixings that you may need. Some plaques are fixed from the front with screws. Others are fixed from the back with anchor bolts. These bolts are used when setting your plaque into a stone base or mounted onto a wall. If you tell us what you want to fix your plaque to we can work out the way to do it.

Maintaining your plaque.

Once installed you'll need to maintain your plaque. Depending on your preferences we can give you two options.

Traditional wax protected plaques.

If you want a traditional bronze plaque then it will have a thin coating of wax to protect it from the elements. To keep your plaque in good condition you'll need to apply a coating of furniture wax with a soft cloth every 2 - 3 months. Once the wax dries, buff up the plaque with a clean soft shoe polishing brush bringing it back to it's original lustre.

Clear powder coated protected plaques.

The alternative is we can clear powder coat your plaque. The powder coating will protect your plaque for at least 10 years. This will protect your plaque in harsh weather conditions such as those you may find near the sea. You won't have to worry about applying wax polish to your plaque. It won't become tarnished or turn verdigris green with exposure to the salt spray. All you need to do to maintain the plaque is wipe it with a water dampened clean cloth every few months.

Photos of past projects.

We understand commisioning a bronze memorial plaque can be a emotional undertaking. This is why we are especially grateful to those clients who have kindly given us permission to put up photos of the plaques that we've crafted for them.

If you'd like to discuss your requirements regarding a bronze memorial plaque then please get in touch by telephoning 01274 570711 or leaving your details on the Bronze Memorial Plaque Enquiry Form and we will get back to you shortly.