Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society (CHIS)

Survey of streeet lights in BS8

Maggie Shapland

The purpose of this document is to:

Provide a basis for the conservation plan. Cast-iron posts are a feature of Clifton and must be preserved.
Locate the different types of posts and lanterns
Show anomalies- where a modern lamp has replaced a post with a traditional lantern for example. Certainly every time a traditional post is removed, residents quite rightly complain especially when they have paid extra to have a traditional lantern in the past

code	description	example	Quantity
L0	real gas traditional. Effective electric street lamps became available after 1901	Canygne square	7
L1	electric arc lights originally dating from ?1880, and quite widespread; The key electrical supply dates from the St Phillips Bridge power station which provided DC to the trams system, and had to be converted to AC.	The Mall	2
L2	Globe	The Mall	64
L3	traditional	Princess Victoria St	214
L4	cone	Sion Lane	246
L5	Swan modern	Kings Rd	79

P0 MDOWILL STONER CO LTD, GLASCOW AND LONDON base base	Tall column and a half round (ribs /round badge) 1893->	Princes Buildings	36
P1 base base	Tall column and a half round (badge on square plate) 1893->	Clifton Park	12
P2 DW WINDSOR WARE HERTS, ENGLAND base base	Tall less ornate (balled base 1930's). Horizontal lantern support	Sion Hill	10
P3	Short(4 ribs) pre 1880	Royal Park	48
P4 Avonside ENGINE CO LTD ENGINEERS BRISTOL	Shortl (1 rib on base)	Christchurch	86
P5 P5 (1865) Bristol Foundry Company, Thomas Street	Short (3 rib) 1890	Manilla Rd	115
P6 P6 top	Short (fleur de lys)	Canygne square	4
P7 base	Short (tapered fleur de lys)	Canygne square	7
P8 Bristol Foundry Co	Short (square base) 1914 morris. Has an opening door so does not need pavement digging up	Kings rd	51
P9 P9a	Short (1 rib halfway)	Sion Place	7
Experimental base	Early experimental gas lamp	Royal York Crescent	1
Wall	Wall mounted	Waterloo St	14

N1	Tall with horizontal support +modern lantern (urbis, sox etc	Gloucester Row	modern post with lantern	177
N2	Tall with shorter horizontal support+modern lantern	Suspension bridge	modern post with lantern	78
N2short	short with shorter horizontal support+modern lantern	St Johns Rd	modern post with lantern	27
N3	Tall with minimal support+modern lantern	Clifton Park	modern post with lantern	121
N3double	Tall (2 head) with minimal support+modern lantern	Clifton Park	modern post with lantern	3
N3short	short with minimal support+modern lantern	The Promenade	modern post with lantern	37
N4	short sometimes with repro ribbed cover plate used with lantern/cone	Princess Victoria St	modern post	195
N4tall	Medium new- used with globe/traditional	Worcester Terrace	modern post	3
N5	short with small support +modern lantern	Christchurch Rd	modern post with lantern	6
N6	short thin- used with traditional lantern	Manilla Rd	modern post	21
N7	Short bent+modern lantern	Vyvyan Rd	modern post with lantern	7
N8	Tall thin- used with globe (Urbis)	University Rd	modern post	9

It was fascinating to find out how many different types of cast iron posts there were, often in the same street.

Cone lanterns will be replaced by swan lanterns. Modern lanterns cost £120-£150, Traditional lanterns £695, Globe lanterns £1000.
There is a policy not to remove cast iron posts from BS8.
Residents have every right to complain when a traditional lantern is lost, and there is supposed to be a policy of notifying residents before works take place to see if they would consider contributing towards new traditional lanterns
The maintenance yard is apparently full of cast iron lamp posts.
Christchurch Road and Clifton Park Rd now have a modern post incongruously sitting amongst posts with traditional lanterns. Both were vigorously contested but so far nothing has happened. Other streets are Alexandra Rd, Clifton Vale, Cornwallis Avenue, Lansdown Place.
There is supposed to be a policy to have consistent lanterns in a street, but one can find cones and traditional mixed up.
I must congratulate the Council for putting up the new globes round Park Street and the Triangle. Perhaps they could be put in the Mall when the development is finished since the two that are there now are totally incongruous

Goto streetscape to find out more about lights and streetscape