History in Structure

Sewer Gas Lamp

A Grade II Listed Building in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.0471 / 55°2'49"N

Longitude: -1.4496 / 1°26'58"W

OS Eastings: 435263

OS Northings: 572652

OS Grid: NZ352726

Mapcode National: GBR LB92.YK

Mapcode Global: WHD4K.PDWN

Plus Code: 9C7W2HW2+V4

Entry Name: Sewer Gas Lamp

Listing Date: 19 January 2012

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1405388

ID on this website: 101405388

Location: Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, NE26

County: North Tyneside

Electoral Ward/Division: Whitley Bay

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: Whitley Bay

Traditional County: Northumberland

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Tyne and Wear

Church of England Parish: Tynemouth St Paul, Cullercoats

Church of England Diocese: Newcastle

Tagged with: Sewer gas destructor lamp

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Whitley Bay

Summary


One of ten surviving Sewer gas lamp standards erected in the Whitley Bay and Monkseaton areas between 1900 and 1910.

Description


Sewer gas lamp, early C20.

The standard is of fluted cast iron with a curved glass lantern; the lantern is supported by four ornamental brackets and it has a high valve to the domed canopy; there is a ladder rest at the top, which also supports the hinged top of the hood when open for cleaning or maintenance. The lamp has a cast-iron base plate reading: 'J.E.WEBBS PATENT SEWER GAS DESTRUCTOR' and 'WEBB LAMP Co. LIMITED BIRMINGHAM'. The lantern head bears the name 'SUGG'.


History


This lamp is one of 17 Sewer Gas Lamp standards erected in the Whitley Bay and Monkseaton areas between 1900 and 1910 of which 10 survive. The following description of their purpose and design is taken from "The History of Monkseaton Village’ by Local Historian Charlie Steel.

"In the 1890s, Joseph Edmund Webb, a builder from Birmingham, invented and patented his sewer gas destructor lamp, and later formed the Webb Engineering Company. Within ten years of their introduction, these lamps were found all over England and in many other parts of the world. Old sewers were often badly laid out and poorly vented, so there was always a danger of disease (or even explosion) from methane and fetid stagnant gases, which could build up in the system. The lamps, which were connected to the ordinary town gas supply, were installed at high points in the system and were coupled directly to the underground sewer. They were usually lit by three mantles, which were rarely extinguished. The burning mantles created an intense heat within the hood, leading to an updraught, which drew air from the sewer through a copper tube inside the column; the sewer gas was therefore harmlessly burned off, thus converting the methane into Carbon Dioxide before being released into the atmosphere. One lamp was capable of venting an area of up to three quarters of a mile of sewer’.

Reasons for Listing


This C20 sewer gas lamp is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Rarity: although gas lamps were once common features of our street scenes they are increasingly rare and those combined with sewer vents are rarer still.
* Intactness: this is an intact example with a complete glass lantern.
* Design quality: not withstanding its humble nature, this is an attractive gas standard with a fluted cast-iron base and ornamental brackets.
* Group value: this is one of a small group of ten intact sewer gas lamps in the Monkseaton and Whitley Bay area.
* Technological: it illustrates a technology which once transformed everyday existence, and its contribution to the public realm was considerable.

External Links

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