Gas Lanterns in Westminster

[Big Nick]

Went to a friends place around the back of Westminster Abbey and realised the dim lighting was gas powered. These are visible on StreetView along Great College Street.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=51.4977 ... 60.57,,0,5

[WHBM]

We did a thread on remaining gas lights a while ago. There are loads still in Central London, on roads, footpaths through the Royal Parks, and up some historic alleys etc. Some of the units are quite spectacular, like the big one at the junction of Birdcage Walk and Horseguards Parade that has 12 jets.

The gas burner units etc inside are quite modern, being from 1970-75, or newer, as they all had to be replaced free of charge by British Gas when the country made the transition from coal gas to natural gas. Until about 20 years ago they were still mostly turned on/off manually by the Lamplighter coming round on his bicycle at dusk and dawn with a long pole over his shoulder to hook onto the operating chain of each one, but they now have automatic time switches, that is what is in the circular grey unit under the gas burner.

[Gram587]

There are some gas lanterns on the posh Park estate in Nottingham as well which is directly behind Nottingham Castle.
Here they are.

[Rojojnr]

Gram587:

Wow, this is a fantastic find! I knew London still has a lot of gas lanterns, but didn't know that they still ran gas! It is a shame that the burners aren't the original ones from the Victorian era, but as WHBM said, at least British Gas did it free of charge and it was for a good reason. I think those lanterns must be made by Falks Beaufort, as I saw a similar one in a front garden in Birchington and somebody said they reckoned it was a Falks Beaufort lantern.

There's a triple bracket version of one of the installations you've pictured at the end of Whitehall at Trafalgar Square! That bracket is absolutely beautiful!

http://www.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source ... 2,,2,-6.56

I'm going to Chinatown in Leicester Square on Sunday with the Photography Society at Queen Mary University (I've just started uni!), so hopefully I'll get the chance to take a walk around the Westminster area with my camera and get some shots of more of those fantastic gas lanterns!

Covent Garden also has lots of similar installations, but I think some around the marketplace have been replaced with Albanys. Henrietta St, however, looks to have identical installations that you pictured:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 8,,2,-6.86

The Nottingham ones look great too, although they are a bit plain and ordinary as they're the traditional gas lanterns. Those ones in London really are something else though!

WHBM:

12 burners?!? That is amazing! Do you mean this installation:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 1,,0,-9.14

The column and brackets are absolutely exquisite!

[WHBM]

12 burners?!? That is amazing! Do you mean this installation

No, this one.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 97594&z=19

There are plenty of fascinating ones around there. Go for a walk down the footway through the park from Green Park Underground to Parliament and you will see many different ones.

Birdcage Walk is interesting as it is lit along its length by gas lights, and also separately by higher electric units. I can't think of another road which has dual gas/electric, both working, on the same side along its length. I drive along it most days.

Henrietta St, however, looks to have identical installations that you pictured:

I think I've looked up at the ones in Henrietta Street and they are electric units inside fake gas housings.

(I've just started uni!)

Good luck

[worcsfan]

Don't forget the Malvern area which still has many gas lanterns: and especially the A449 Great Malvern to Malvern Wells, which is gas lit and an experience if you have never travelled that way before.

[Mikeya]

Just out of interest - thanks to a discussion on streetlighting blog I've scanned some information on gas street lighting from c1950 - although much of this was as pertinent to earlier decades.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36844288@N ... 478262679/

and yes, walking from my office up through St James Park is very atmospheric with just gas lighting!

There are still some survivors of gas lanterns in Broad Court off Bow St, Westminster - now with electric interlopers

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=bow%20s ... =en&tab=wl

Regards

Mikey

[Gram587]

Thanks for that Mikey

Interesting to see those gas lanterns on London Bridge were still in use in the mid 60s from that link you posted on Flickr. I wonder how long they remained in situ for? They must have been very dated even by then!

[Mikeya]

Thanks for that Mikey

Interesting to see those gas lanterns on London Bridge were still in use in the mid 60s from that link you posted on Flickr. I wonder how long they remained in situ for? They must have been very dated even by then!

Glad you enjoyed the browse - you don't see a lot on gas street lighting, especially post-war. As for London Bridge - I wonder if they didn't survive until the reconstruction that was in the mid-1960s?

I've posted some electric street lighting information sheets here as well

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36844288@N ... 604019624/

M

[sydneynick]

In the 1950s, many of the street lights in London suburbs and in many country towns were gas lamps that had been converted to electricity. The various local councils could see no point in buying new posts, etc., so they just removed the gas burner and replaced it with an electric socket and light. Looking at photos, it is often not easy to tell whether the lamps had been converted.