Catchpole & Rye

‘To create something original, you must first fully understand your past’ is an appropriate maxim for a company that began nearly 30 years ago when founder Tony O’Donnell spotted a gap in the market for restoring baths. Having purchased a house with an old cast iron roll top bath, he couldn’t find anyone to renovate it. So he started Catchpole & Rye as a specialist cast iron bath enamelling service and soon began visiting France to buy antique sanitary and bathware. Many of his best pieces, however, such as the impressive canopy baths, were salvaged from stately homes or castles in the UK. O’Donnell, recognising their cracked and peeling historic beauty, rescued them from disuse and restored their former glory.

Many of the new cast iron and bateau baths Catchpole & Rye make today are inspired by those original antiques, but their timeless aesthetic has been updated to 21 st - century standards (and some products are made from recycled metals). The cast iron bath collection is mostly produced at a foundry in Kent using the same techniques that have been perfected over the past 100 years. The design of the original Bain de Bateau bath, for example, dates back over 120 years, and is reproduced by exactly the same methods. The result is akin to a work of art.

Attention to detail, quality materials and craftsmanship are what set Catchpole & Rye apart. The company invests time and effort in employing and training local artisans to produce the highest standards possible and many of the pieces are finished by hand. Their head metal polisher has more than 30 years experience and the know-how to polish a tap or cistern to perfection.

Although Catchpole & Rye keeps an eye on trends, such as copper baths and specialist metal finishes on taps, their primary aim is to ensure the company’s products are designed to stand the test of time. The variety of marbles and stones on offer, together with different types of metal finishes, means their products complement most bathroom schemes, be they in historic or contemporary settings. The company also offers a bespoke and customisation service, which includes anything from small details – such as casting emblems, names and logos onto baths or cisterns – to original pieces, such as a recent commission to design and manufacture an Art Deco-inspired bath for a specific project.

This year Catchpole & Rye is building a large new warehouse to expand the workshop’s engineering space and manufacturing capability. It is also looking at ways of expanding its international market as demand grows from clients overseas. The company’s full design service includes site visits – to ensure their beautifully finished bathroom features a bath that’s worthy of taking the plunge.