Summary

Two cast-iron C19 gas street lamps; one altered in early-C21.

Description

Lamp at NGR SO 7749345692
The square Maxilla lantern is supported on four straight modern brackets, set on a tapering octagonal column with a heavily-moulded base. It is set on an octagonal plinth with chamfered and stepped stops. The ladder rest has octagonal arms with octagonal knop finials.

Lamp at NGR SO 7754145699
The tapering Windsor lantern is supported on four scrolled brackets, set on a short, circular column which flares to a cushion ring. Below this is a high octagonal plinth which has a panel to each face, on a square foot. The ladder rest has moulded arms and finials. By Hardy and Padmore of Worcester; the plinth is cast with the founder's mark.

History

In 1851, permission was given for the building of a gas works at Sherrards Green in Malvern, the first to be built in the town. It opened in 1856, with the capacity to serve around 500 houses in the vicinity, as well as 200 street lamps. Further gas plants were opened around the town, and eventually all of Malvern, even remote locations, was provided with gas street lighting. In 1872, a lamplighter was paid14s a week to light the lamps each evening. In total there were around 250 lamps, of which around 100 are still lit by gas, with a hand-wound clockwork mechanism to light them automatically. A further 125 have been converted to electric lighting; there are some replica lamp posts, and a few have been tapped off or lost entirely. The lamps were cast by a number of foundries, many of which were local, others much further afield, including Sheffield and Manchester. The lanterns were supplied by William Sugg & Company which was founded in London in 1837 to provide elements for gas lighting, and Foster and Pullen Ltd of Bradford.

Three gas street lamps were installed on Heywell Walk in the C19; one has been removed sometime after 2001, while the lamp at the west end of Heywell Walk has had its lantern replaced, probably in the early C21.

Reasons for Listing

The two C19 gas street lamps on Heywell Walk are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Design quality: not withstanding their humble nature, the lamp standards have an elegant design that is well cast;
* Group value: they form a functionally-related group along the path;
* Technological: they illustrate a technology which once transformed everyday existence;
* Historic interest: as part of an extensive network of similar street lamps which survive across Malvern.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26688301

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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