We've moved into an old Victorian cottage in the UK. The balustrade to the main stairs is no longer there and we wish to re-instate it in the original style.

The landing staircase gives us some clues as to the shape of the spindles, the newel post and the handrail.

But could you help me as to the design of the handrail where the stairs approach the turn, where the height of the adjacent ceiling diminishes? Would the handrail have continued up to meet the ceiling; or curve somehow; or ...

Would the spindles be one, or two per stair?

I thought the spindles would be in line with the newel post going up the stairs but the measurements of the existing ones seems to suggest that they'd be too big to fit on this slim piece of wood? Has something else been ripped out?

All and any suggestions or pictures most welcome as I try to piece together this jigsaw with mostly lost pieces!

Here are some photos :-)

I found this "end cap" design where the handrail meets the newel post and think that this is how the bottom half of the stairs would have perhaps looked.

Many thanks :-)