Wood bannisters help

[screamer1]

Can anyone help please. What wood is this and what would it look like if we sanded it down to natural?

Ok thanks again this is all so helpful. Would I just strip with sandpaper?

Some more questions of any of you can bear it! So if I paint the spindles black, and probably the newel posts, what the hell do I do with this big old post that goes to the floor?

Don't paint them black. It'll look like a student house and it'll make the hall feel dingy.

Really @wowfudge Do you think this looks studenty?

Not particularly, but yours are different as the spindles overhang the sides. With black newel posts as well it's not going to look great imo, but it's not my house.