What Castle Fine Arts Foundry does

Castle Fine Arts Foundry is a UK-based art foundry founded in 1990 by Chris Butler that provides end-to-end bronze casting and sculptural fabrication services for professional sculptors, artists, and public art commissioning bodies. Its core offering spans costings, enlargement, 3D printing and CNC cutting, design/CAD, mould-making, lost wax and sand casting (including an advanced ceramic shell process for monumental works), fabrication, patination, and worldwide installation, executed across three UK studios: the main foundry in Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant (Powys) where all metal casting is concentrated, a mould/wax/finishing studio in Stroud (Gloucestershire), and a studio in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle creative hub. The technology stack blends traditional lost wax methods with modern digital fabrication: in-house and on-site digital scanning, 3D printing for scale models and maquettes, CNC foam cutting, and CAD-based engineering for armatures and structural works.

The business model is project-based bespoke services sold via direct enterprise field engagement — studio visits, costings consultations, and full project management from concept through installation. Pricing is quote-based and tied to size, complexity, material, and scope; an introductory tier (£125 + VAT casting fee, plus a free wax block for UK residents) functions as a marketing funnel toward larger commissions. Revenue streams include custom bronze casting projects (one-time project fees), public art commissions for councils, museums, and private collectors (professional services), educational programs (courses, work experience), and materials supply. Customer segments are primarily professional sculptors and artists (primary), public art commissioners such as councils and museums (primary), emerging artists and enthusiasts (secondary, fed by the Free Wax program), and educational institutions (secondary, via courses and partnerships). The firm has cast thousands of artworks for hundreds of artists over 20+ years and counts high-profile commissions including the Princess Diana memorial, Armed Forces Memorial, Wallace & Gromit statue, Bee Gees statue, and Man on Fire (2024 PSSA Marsh Award winner) among its portfolio. Distribution is exclusively direct with no resellers; marketing combines content (Crucible blog), organic social (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X), the Free Wax funnel, and PR generated through public art installations and exhibitions such as the Liverpool Biennial.

Name

Castle Fine Arts Foundry

Legal name

Castle Fine Arts Foundry

Website

https://bronzefoundry.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Castle Fine Arts Foundry is a UK-based art foundry founded in 1990 that provides end-to-end bronze casting, sculptural fabrication, and worldwide installation services for professional sculptors, artists, and public art commissioning bodies, operating across three UK studios in Powys, Stroud, and Liverpool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Foundry Services

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal Foundries (33152), Other Nonferrous Metal Foundries (except Die-Casting) (331529), Foundries (3315)

SIC

Nonferrous Foundries (Castings) (3360)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal 3D Printing Service Bureaus (SLM/DMLS, EBM, Binder Jetting) (IMAAADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Additive Manufacturing Research & Innovation Labs (IMAAAJAA), 3D Printers (Additive Manufacturing) (HDACAEAH)

Keywords

• Bronze casting services
• Lost wax casting
• Sculptural fabrication
• Public art commissions
• Art foundry services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oswestry

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Bronze Casting Services: Project-based custom bronze casting services for professional sculptors, artists, and commissioning bodies. Pricing based on size, complexity, and scope of work. Services include mould-making, lost wax casting, finishing, patination, fabrication, and installation.
2. Public Art Commissions: Large-scale public sculpture commissions for councils, museums, and private collectors. Includes full project management from design consultation through installation.
3. Educational Programs: Revenue from bronze casting courses (previously run with Yorkshire Sculpture Park), work experience program (currently free), and materials sales.
4. Introductory Casting Offer: Special introductory offer at £125 plus VAT for casting wax sculptures into bronze, including casting, finishing, basic patina (black, brown, or green), wax finish, and return postage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Castle Fine Arts Foundry provides bespoke bronze casting and sculptural fabrication services to professional sculptors, artists, and public art commissioning bodies. Services span the full lifecycle from initial costings and consultation, enlargement, mould-making, lost wax and sand casting, fabrication, patination, and worldwide installation. The foundry combines traditional lost wax methods with modern digital scanning, 3D printing, and CNC cutting across three UK studios.

Product overview

Castle Fine Arts Foundry operates as a unified platform providing comprehensive bronze casting and sculptural services for professional artists and sculptors. The core offering is its full-service bronze foundry, supported by interconnected modules including Costings, Enlargement, 3D Printing/CNC Cutting, Design/CAD, Mould-Making, Casting, Fabrication, Patination, and Installation. The company also provides complementary programs including a Free Wax educational initiative, bronze casting courses, work experience opportunities, and materials supply. With over 30 years of experience, the foundry serves artists from initial concept through to public installation, operating from three UK studios in Llanrhaeadr, Stroud, and Liverpool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bronze Casting and Sculptural Fabrication Services Full-service bespoke bronze casting for sculptors using lost wax and sand casting methods, from small pieces to monumental public installations. Services include costings/consultation, enlargement via pantograph, mould-making, lost wax casting, fabrication, patination, and worldwide installation. For professional sculptors, artists, public art commissioners, councils, and museums.
• Free Wax Program with Introductory Casting Offer Entry-level program providing a free block of wax and instruction leaflet to UK residents so individuals can create a small sculpture, with optional paid casting into bronze at £125 plus VAT (includes casting, finishing, basic patina, wax finish, and return postage). Aimed at hobbyists, emerging artists, and enthusiasts.
• Bronze Casting Courses Five-day hands-on practical courses teaching lost wax casting and ceramic shell processes, previously delivered in partnership with Yorkshire Sculpture Park and at the Liverpool studio. For sculptors, students, and enthusiasts seeking formal training.
• Work Experience Program Free one-week work experience program running for ten places per year, providing an overview of the entire foundry process from mould-making through to patination. Open to participants including those from outside the UK.
• Materials Supply Supply of sculpting and casting materials from stock, available for collection or dispatch in small quantities. For artists and sculptors needing foundry materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully cast and installed Man on Fire, a two-tonne dynamic flowing figure with intricate flame sections requiring complex internal stainless steel structural engineering
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Welsh Pavilion at Venice BiennaleflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Welsh Pavilion at Venice Biennale. Castle Fine Arts handled transport of sculptures to Venice for the 2007, 2009, and 2013 editions, supporting Welsh artists' international exhibition presence.
• Manchester Aid to Kosovo (MaK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Charity organization working in Kosovo since 1995. Castle Fine Arts donated materials to help establish a small scale foundry in Kosovo and provides ongoing technical support. Mike Anitt from MaK later joined Castle Fine Arts and now manages their foundry area.
• Diane Gorvin and Phil BewsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Artists collaborating on the Rincoin De Ademuz Sculpture Biennial, which won Silver Award in 2003. Ongoing collaboration on various sculptural projects.
• Ancient ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReconstructional and experimental archaeology company based in Conwy Valley, North Wales, founded by David Chapman, world-leading expert on ancient bronze casting. Long-standing association sharing fascination for bronze, with Castle Fine Arts introducing new developments while Ancient Arts explores roots of bronze casting.
• Eden ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationally renowned center in Cornwall. Castle Fine Arts provided bronze pouring display for visiting public and cast bronze leaves for a new project, initiating what is hoped to be a long-lasting partnership.
• Yorkshire Sculpture ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationally acclaimed sculpture park. Castle Fine Arts ran annual bronze casting courses for six years at the park, providing five days of hands-on training in lost wax casting and ceramic shell processes in inspirational surroundings.
• Liverpool BiennialflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor international contemporary art festival. Castle Fine Arts curated the Jamaica Street Plinth exhibition space and collaborated on multiple installations including ALI SA BE SA BE by Eleng Luluan, ANAX YAA NADEIN by Nicholas Galanin, and TRINIDAD 1 by Rudy Loewe.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pangolin Editions: UK-based fine art foundry offering bronze casting, sculpting, and fabrication services to professional artists, including monumental-scale work. Closest direct peer to Castle Fine Arts in scale, geography, and end-to-end service model.
• Tallix Art Foundry: US-based art foundry providing bronze casting, fabrication, and installation services for sculptors and public art clients. Directly comparable as a full-service foundry serving named artists and monumental commissions.
• Walla Walla Foundry: US art foundry specialising in bronze casting for sculptors, with a strong portfolio of named-artist editions and public works. Comparable in production model and artist-client focus.
• AB Fine Art Foundry: UK bronze foundry specialising in lost wax casting for sculptors and designers. Direct peer offering similar end-to-end casting services to professional artists.
• Black Isle Bronze: UK-based bronze foundry providing casting, fabrication, and installation for artists. Comparable in offering bespoke sculpture services with similar traditional lost wax expertise.
• Johnson Atelier Technical Institute: US-based sculpture foundry and technical institute offering bronze casting, digital fabrication, and large-scale public art production. Directly comparable for monumental commissions and integrated digital-to-cast workflow.
• Bronze Coast Foundry: Specialist art foundry offering bronze casting and patination services to sculptors. Comparable in being a dedicated art-focused foundry with similar lost wax process expertise.
• Morris Singer Foundry: Historic UK fine art foundry offering bronze casting, mould-making, and patination for sculptors. Comparable in service offering and tradition of working with named artists on public and gallery works.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Art Projects (UAP): Global public art company delivering large-scale commissioned sculpture and installation worldwide. Broader incumbent competing with CFA for the largest public art tenders and offering fabrication across multiple materials.

Regional players

• Bart van Herck Metal Art: Belgium-based foundry specialising in bronze casting and monumental sculpture. Comparable service offering to artists and architects, with primary geographic focus on continental Europe rather than the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/castle-fine-arts-foundry
• Instagraminstagram.com/castlefineartsfoundry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Castle Fine Arts Foundry