THEY were a common feature around Oxford before being melted down for their metal during the Second World War.

But the black railings which still decorate parts of the city are making a comeback.

And the Oxford Preservation Trust is hoping to help more residents recapture their homes’ original look.

Director Debbie Dance said re-instating iron railings the right way could boost the character of the neighbourhood.

The trust has put together a guidebook on the city’s railings and purchased three patterns for different moulds.

Ms Dance said: “We have become very aware that people were putting their railings back but some people weren’t doing it properly.

“They are an incredibly important part of the character of North Oxford. But it isn’t just that area, they are used in Iffley Road as well.

“Making a pattern is very expensive. They cost between £3,000 and £5,000 depending on how intricate the railing is.

“They were taken down during the war, and in the 1970s the foundries burnt their patterns because they didn’t think they would be needed.

“The people of Park Town have very generously donated their pattern to us and we have just got a new one which can be used in Southmoor Road.”

Another pattern for Kingston Road has also been purchased by the trust and money raised will be reinvested to buy more.

Many of the railings were made at two of the city’s foundries – W Lucy & Co Ltd and Dean & Son, Oxford – and the surviving ones often have foundry marks showing where they were made.

They are most commonly associated with the residential suburb of North Oxford where they were installed between 1850 and 1914.

Designs vary depending when they were installed and which street.

Park Town has relatively simple railings while further north in Thorncliffe Road they are more elaborate.

City councillor Colin Cook, executive board member for city development, said: “It is an excellent idea. It is fantastic that they are being put back so we can bring buildings back to their full glory.”

Traditionally, railings were painted in muted colours, but following the death of Prince Albert in December 1861 it became fashionable to paint them black as a sign of respect.