Staircase Ordered

After a great deal of thought and deliberation we have decided on the style and type of staircase.   There have been so many often conflicting aspects to this.  It is outdoors and galvanised steel was always going to be the material.   A single straight flight of stairs was the original plan but the site did not permit this if it was not to be unduly steep.  Planning and Building Control requirements conflicted particularly on the nature, spacing and orientation of railings.

Was it to be a fire escape or a n access staircase?  Different rules apply.

Should it match the existing front stairway to the tower?   Would that imply that the extension was an original part of the tower?   Could we have round railings as a hand rail?  That would please me, for one but it would differ from existing external stairs.

We were helped a great deal by our Building Inspector Bob Morris who delved deep into regulations for us and was helped by the fact that the top main flight would or could almost follow the line of the embankment so would be at 'ground' level or within 600mm of it.

Anyway, we found two seemingly good suppliers - one in Wolverhampton, the other in Keighley.   There was little in it price-wise but carriage from Wolverhampton was a deciding factor.   The Keighley made stairs would be delivered free.


Anyway, here is the eventual design:

Because of the complicated site, there must in our case be two intermediate landings and two 90 degree turns plus a 3.4m long top landing - quite a staircase therefore.  The picture is of a staircase at Thornton (Bradford) village hall, made by our Keighley firm and this is the style chosen.   It will be a prominent feature of the site and the middle flight of steps will have as a backdrop the splendid dry stone wall so recently built.   Topsoil will be right alongside the top flight to keep us within the spirit and the letter of Building Regs.  The steps and treads will have drain holes or be on a slight slope to prevent water from accumulating and the risk of ice in winter.  Quite by chance Building Inspector Bob Morris oversaw this very staircase when he worked in Bradford before escaping to Craven District.

Here it was under construction:

To avoid the need for craning it will come as a kit of parts to be assembled on site.  Next job is to build concrete foundations for its supports.