| Cast-Iron Lamp Columns in the Borough of Ealing |  |
A Detailed History researched and compiled by M.C. Kehoe
Contents:
Column Design, Original installation & Locations. Architectural and Aesthetic Significance
Later Additions.
Electrification
Lanterns, Brackets, Top boxes & Control gear
Replacement Programmes
Improvement Programmes
Problems and Weaknesses
Practical Solutions
Colour Schemes
Heritage Status
The cast iron lamp column stock in the borough of Ealing are almost entirely of the same design and date from the late -19th century through to the 1920's.
This particular rectangular design was common to several districts of London, developing suburban London, and many towns and cities all over England.
They were cast at many foundries and the Ealing examples include castings from
Stockport and Gt. Castle St. W1 in the middle of the West End.
The columns all have a basic common design, though each foundry has its own variation in height and minor detail. The design was popular as it surpassed most other designs by way of simplicity, versatility and enduring robust construction. It is particularly resistant to corrosion and fatigue.
These are all of an octagonal cross section shape with a ribbed base, tapering from the waist upwards. Finishing with a typical Victorian flared neck at the top (see picture 1) A circular mounting spigot for the lamp bracket of 4 inch diameter and 1/2" to 3/4" thickness.
They are of a free standing design with a 2.2 to 3ft base below ground and a flat square base plinth of 3/4" thickness. The below ground crosssection is also four sided.
The original installations were mounted into the earth using ballast. Little or no concrete was used, concrete being the worst enemy of cast iron.
Most of the surviving columns are late castings of better quality cast-iron which had a higher degree of carbon and has very good resistance to cracking enabling a degree of simple drilling and cutting.
Much of Ealing's column stock was not new having come from Central London areas where larger more ornate columns were being introduced.
Columns originally sited in Acton, for example, were repositioned in Northolt when Acton was completely re-lit in the 1950's.
Southall has no cast columns having received concrete designs in 1954-1958.
Additional columns were sourced post-war, from neighbouring Brentford which was receiving Concrete Utility designs throughout the then Borough of Brentford & Chiswick
Originally, gas lamps were installed in the main thoroughfares that linked the villages and developing towns of Ealing, Hanwell and Acton. They were few and far between. An earlier design column was used on the Uxbridge Road and in older parts of Hanwell. Only two of these are known to survive. Currently located in St Marks Road, Hanwell. W7.
The standard columns are very much in keeping with much of the architecture and aesthetic appearance of Ealing and Hanwell and is an integral icon of the Boroughs character with the design being visually interesting, robust but not overly ornate.
Later Additions
Most columns were installed during the rapid development of the Ealing district during the early 20th century and in the main gas supplied Illumination.
Late columns of the same standard design were fitted with base access doors. Most of these were replaced in a 1986/7 upgrading scheme.
Later installations were electric supplied from the outset. In general, this is Greenford, Northolt & Perivale and the Hangar Hill Estate.
At the time of these developments -1920 & 30's a later design using a steel & Iron column was introduced for replacement and additional lighting, found mainly in North Ealing and West Ealing. A few of this style still remain and are a design more susceptible to corrosion and fatigue. This style was the used widely in newer suburbs in the 1920's and 30's.
A DW Windsor replica is based on this design.
The current ‘Heritage' columns are also based on this design.
Electrification
Contrary to popular belief, A large proportion of cast iron columns were not originally gas lit. Ealing was one of the first Towns in Britain to have electric public street lighting.
Two original installations (now listed) are still in situ and recently restored.
Most columns in the Greenford and Northolt areas were electric from the outset,
with only the oldest parts of the villages having ever had gas lighting.
General electrification was started between the two world wars although an exact date is not currently known.
Lighting was by nothing less than a 100w tungsten bulb in a butterfly shaped lantern fixed to a swan neck bracket to a design by Revo of Tipton.
The circuits were connected in series grouping several streets and operated from a single time switchin a Cast iron supply control cabin. This system was used widely until the 1980's and was useful for its ease of maintenance as a faulty unit was easy to spot and isolation was from one single point.
However a failure at the control box could black out entire streets.
While this system was in good condition and well maintained, failures were almost unheard of.
Isolated columns had time switches installed in top boxes of several design types. These became most common during the 1960's and are the standard for all the remaining stock in updated districts (see later reference)
The original mains supply cable up through the column was of a bitumen/paper type.
Some (around 6%) of the original electrification cabling is still intact and now a cause of concern. Although annual cable failures even after 20 years of nil maintenance is in single figures for this type of column. The inside of the column is totally cocooned from the elements. Most failures have been the result of disturbances ie. CableTV , Water and Gas main replacements.
Sodium lighting was introduced in the 1950's and early 1960's with a standard design used throughout the borough. A lantern unit and control gear by A.C. Ford of Dudley, West Midlands (who are still in business still producing much of these components.)
Despite early electrification many gas columns were not converted until the Sodium conversion in the 1950's
Lanterns, Brackets, Top Boxes and Control Gear
The gas lanterns were the traditional four sided type (replicated in picture as used at Ealing Green.) A 4-foot extension was used on the busier roads with a doubled up filament and some had self-lighting devices. The last gas lamp to survive was down an alleyway off New Broadway W5 and visible from a service alley in the High Street W5.Another design was used in Mattock Lane W5 which were globes, very elegant and may have been electrified but to date cannot be confirmed.
The standard electrified conversion settled on a large swan-neck bracket with an ornamental top and a curled steel trim inside the swan radius. None of this style survives.
The second type was also a Revo design with a cast lozenge shaped connector box with a fuse access, a very strong swan neck and a simple ornamental design at the top end. Two different ornamental designs were common.
The rapid expansion of sodium conversion led to the first type of swan neck being replaced, as they did not have the strength to support the increased weight of the control gear, which was housed inside the lantern. The demand meant a third simplified swan-neck was required in large numbers and also to fit the new top box that was being fitted to gas conversions that had an independent power supply.
The lighting equipment and top boxes and Swan neck brackets were all manufactured and supplied by A.C.Ford, Dudley, West Midlands. (Most items of which are still available in 2005.)
Time switches were all originally manufactured by Venner.
The equipment then remained basically the same until the mid -1980's when major lighting improvement schemes were put into effect.
As the smaller rather neat Revo fusebox was rendered obsolete by recommendation not regulation, their elimination was required.
New top boxes and swan-neck brackets were introduced in 1988 . The two styles of swan neck bracket and identical top boxes to the originals (except cast in Aluminium) were supplied again by AC Ford.
New gear and lanterns by Phillips replaced the AC Ford control equipment and photocells replaced time-switches.
In 1991, a new smaller top box and large radius swan-neck design to enable use of new type sodium lighting was introduced on a few columns in conservation areas. The Park, W.5, Elm Ave, Ealing Common W5. and Golden Manor, Hanwell, W7.
Other columns in conservation areas have replica gas style lanterns, both types though, share much improved luminary output.
Replacement Programmes
The first replacement programme was to upgrade lighting in the main thoroughfares, which would have occurred early in the 20th century. The columns from the likes of Northfields Ave., Boston Manor Rd, St Mary's Rd/South Ealing Rd, Greenford Ave. and the Uxbridge road etc. were simply removed and repositioned on the new residential streets then being built.The First major replacement programme began @ 1954 with upgrading of lighting in Acton. The entire corporation's lighting was renewed and Acton's residential streets have the last British mass produced cast designed columns made by Revo. These columns were originally lit using a white fluorescent tube with a conical post top fitting and were replaced with a similar but smaller sodium light fitting in the late 1970's.
Ealing acquired Actons older redundant columns - hence why columns in 1950's built streets in Northolt and Perivale were already 50 years older.
Ealing replacement was slow and the first major improvement scheme began in 1967 with replacement in Church Lane, Culmington Rd, Churchfield Rd, Mattock La., Warwick Road W5 and Leighton Rd W13.
Schemes also started in parts of Hanwell, Greenford, Yeading and Northolt.
These upgrades were mainly for roads that had become traffic busy.
Culmington Road became the first to receive the new 'hockey stick' style steel column, which was to become the standard design for the next 35 years.
They are the most pleasing of modern designs that blend in well in most streets as long as the height is kept proportional.
Replacement of cast-iron columns damaged beyond repair (during the war and austerity years some were even bolted back together!) was with a standard steel column with a swan-neck fitted.
This was standard practice from 1960 to 1983.
Other replacement schemes followed in Ealing Park ( Little Ealing Lane. to Brentford Borders) 1976.
South Ealing Estate 1981. Brentham Estate@ 1982, Hangar Hill Estate 1986, Old Hanwell 1986, Ealing, North of Haven Green 1986. All use the Hockey Stick Design.
Improvement Programmes
During the 1980s, concerns for night safety led to funds being made available to vastly improve the standard of residential street lighting throughout the borough.A plan was drawn up which would ensure the continued use of cast-iron columns in a concentrated area that spanned a demographic cross section of the boroughs residences.
The area Selected lies between Hanwell, Northfields, South Ealing and Central Ealing, south of the Uxbridge road.
The policy was to replace columns in newer areas of the borough with the steel hockey stick columns and retrieve the displaced cast-iron columns. Ensuring an efficient recycling of a Borough asset whilst retaining a unique part of the character of the oldest part of the town. This also ensured a huge improvement in lighting quality and with it safer streets.
The retrieved columns would thus be available in adequate enough numbers to be able to relight a whole district with spacings that meet new specification standards.
The columns were reclaimed from Greenford, North Ealing, Northolt and Perivale.
When removed they were stripped out, bases cleaned and checked for damage and structural integrity.
Ironically, columns with ground level access doors were discarded.
Columns removed from Perivale in particular were found to have been seated in concrete and were either corroded or easily damaged on removal.
This led to a shortfall in serviceable columns and the scheme was reduced in size by eliminating streets north of Leighton Road W13 and some busier residential roads.
To complete the project in the remaining zone, identical columns were acquired from Kingston-upon Thames to make up the numbers.
The removal and repositioning was carried out by Street Light Services of Baldock, Herts.
New electrical equipment using Phillips lighting units were installed .
Each re-seated column was completely rewired using BS standard materials.
All columns in this area had their lighting equipment renewed and those that were connected to group time switches were rewired direct to the local mains supply. New alloy top boxes and swan necks were used to replace those columns, which had the earlier small RevoTipton fuse box fitted.
All remaining undisturbed columns were rewired internally and any that were non standard or damaged were to be replaced.
This work was carried out in 1987-9. The electrical contractors being Dick Claydon Ltd.
The area where the project was completed is on the map.
This project also covered a few conservation areas in North Ealing/West Acton and Hanwell, which lay outside the main area of works.
A later modification was the addition of a small earth strap being fitted between the top box and the column carried out in 1990.
Ealing Green had a renewal and upgrading programme in the early 90's funded by a section 106 scheme. However, the standard of work fell way below the standard specified . The cost should have involved the additional columns being shot-blasted and powder coated, and the retained columns being stripped and repainted. In fact, they were just toshed over with black Hammerite.
During this period and since, contractors have often failed to carry out work to the degree that they are both quoting for and being paid for with no checks or challenges having being made by the client.
More recently, contractors have deemed the columns obsolete by either structural, technical or other reasons, quoted expensive refurbishment costs and generally frowned upon further use.
Ironically, most of the contractors are also happy to supply other clients the same columns, fully refurbished at high prices per unit.
The Ealing Civic society has been urging Ealing not to allow the passing of the stock to contractors at the scrap value of a lightweight steel column and that the borough looks into other uses for the stock. Parks , for example., possible local sale to residents, and donations to local projects in the district and immediate surrounding districts. Thus ensuring some local heritage remains in one use or another, but at least, locally.
PROBLEMS AND WEAKNESSES
As with anything that is of antiquity, problems can be found and may arise.
Generally, Structural integrity of these columns is very good and simply does not compare with steel columns many of which show structural distortion after less than a decade and fatigue failure often occurring after just two decades.
Reasonably maintained, 150 - 200 years is more than feasible. Thus 1 cast column is equal to 10 steel columns per life cycle. One refurbishment of sufficient quality should enable 50 years of trouble free columns with just the luminary needing an update.
It is almost unheard of for this type of column to fail structurally of its own accord.
The cast iron columns are rigid in structure, which makes them resistant to bad drivers and vandals alike. The control equipment at the top is also a deterrent from those with intent. Their short height and side street use is less of a risk in an impact compared with the recoil of a taller steel unit.
The use of the present design topbox restricts the height and style of lanterns and brackets available.
The top spigot where the top box fits on can fail if impacted but again this can be repaired with a simple inner sleeve insert and again makes good use of recycling and resources.
When a column is removed the weakest point is the base plinth which is wider than the column. Workmen have been seen using picks and sledgehammers trying to shock a column free rather than digging around the full width of the plinth. Cast-iron will crack if an acute blow is directed at a weak point.
(BT used workmen with sledgehammers to crack the phone boxes on Ealing Green to justify their removal -Photographs exist as proof of this.)
A thick earth cable is also often bolted to the base and again, if not severed, may cause structural damage when yanked out of the ground.
Careful removal should ensure a fully intact and recyclable column.
S.L.S. succesfully removed hundreds of these columns with no damage to the integrity of the column.
Recent recommendations by electrical safety bodies have highlighted the fact that with these columns the electrical equipment is at the top and there is no means of isolation at the ground.
The lamp and control gear can still be isolated as the fuse is in the topbox and therefore can be repaired. Any qualified technician should in every case be taking the necessary safety precautions when working with any potentially live installation.
All London Underground staff and contractors for example, who may come into contact with electrical installations are trained and issued with visors & shock proof gloves etc. for handling similar situations.
However, it is naturally desirable to be able to isolate from the ground
Solutions to this problem are mentioned in the next section.
Cable failure between the main supply and the column has become common in the past few years with all types.
In the areas where rewiring work took place, around 6% of columns did not need to be repositioned and remained in place. It would appear that not all columns were rewired as was specified, and a few will still have a mains cable of the older bitumen and paper type. Rewired columns use Black PVC weatherproof H/D cable from 1968 on.
Other failures seem to be supply failures that follow shortly after cable/utility works have taken place.
Many columns have still not been painted or paved in since 1989 so it seems as though the full contracts were never completed.
Currently, a supply failure is resulting in the entire column being replaced with a current design steel column of 6m height which is visually detrimental to the look of a street and the eveness of lighting
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
For the problem of isolating columns from the ground, several options exist.
The cheapest and most practical option is to install a remote mini-feeder pillar
either by installing it to the side of a column or preferably by positioning against an adjacent wall or suchlike. The cost is less than total replacement and can be done on a one by one basis as and when the need arises.
Mini-feeder pillars are of a simple, secure, discreet, adaptable design and may utilise other uses should say, electric town vehicles etc. become encouraged in the not too distant future.
Feeder pillars would also increase the options long term on the range of lamps and brackets used on the columns as the top box would no longer be required etc.
Other options are cutting a door access (as done in Rye, E. Sussex) and fitting a strength retaining frame and a cast alloy or moulded urethane door allowing fitting of a ground isolator. Both are possible but more expensive.
Currently columns are being replaced because old cables are not easy to remove and are not leaving access for new cables. There is at least 3.5" of space at the neck of a column widening to 7" at the waist. Very often lumps of bitumen were pushed around the top main cable to keep it centred and seal the column. Tapping a drift through from the top will clear it.
At present it appears that many columns removed are being disposed of because they are being designated unserviceable for street use.
Even if they cannot be used for street lighting they could be utilised for other uses. Sugg make a flower basket frame which fits on to the spigot. Columns could also be used in parks and greens where series supply or even gas could be used.
A stock of columns ought to be retained so that a 'float' exists to replace an unserviceable column or a 'knock-down' with an identical one, which could have a mini-feeder, pre-fitted. *(This has since been agreed with LBE/Parkman)
Once these columns are disposed of it is unlikely that the borough will ever have the funds to get them back or find suitable replacements with the same degree of originality and elegance. Funds may however, one day exist to make improvements to what still exists.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Recent developments have secured an undertaking from LBE that removed columns will be retained and stored and a float stock established for knock-down / damage replacements.The feeder pillar solution has been trialed and seems to be successful although positioning of the pillars may need more care.
Two columns in Ealing Common were refurbished with a new topbox and swan- neck bracket and a suitable upgraded lantern. The result in luminary improvement appears to be more than satisfactory.
These columns and lanterns have since been removed due to the replacement by new heritage style columns.
A list of streets in the upgraded areas has recently been provided in correction to the recent survey carried out.
Replica columns in Iron or Alloy to the same design have been sourced as well as a ‘big brother' design - a larger version of the original design.
A few high-pressure lanterns have been tried on a few columns but these seem to be too big and unwieldy although the light output, distribution and quality is much improved over the existing low pressure sodium output.
A top mounting bowl lantern like a small Strand type seems to deliver both a good spread of light and a suitable aesthetic appearance.
Better lower cost top fitting lanterns seem to be coming on the market and a mini-strand lantern with metal-halide or high-pressure sodium luminary may be a major improvement.
Whilst light distribution has been cited as unacceptable with the lower height of gas columns, it has been demonstrated with recent schemes that the gain and more even light spread from the use of a tall modern columns is effective in theory and, in ideal conditions.
In practice though, the extra height often places the luminary into tree foliage as well as at the height of most mature tree crowns, casting shadows and negating any gain and in many cases, deterioating the previous inferior quality.
Ealing has a lot of mature trees and means to annually prune each one for a light will be highly unlikely.
Colour Schemes
Colour schemes deployed for the past 120 years total only 3.The earliest columns have evidence of being Green and cream.
Green to the waist, cream to the neck and green for the bracket was the norm from around 1870 with several variations of green, ending with Malachite Green in 1966 when Grey to the waist and off-white for the rest became the newly combined borough's corporate colours.
In 1980, brown and cream became the Borough's present colours.
Black was never used except in the war when black and white bands were applied up to the waist during the blackout.
Ealing Greens' columns should therefore be Green / Cream / Green.
Whilst Black seems to be the industry's favourite ‘cover all' colour of the moment, it is not a true ‘heritage' colour. Original Blacks were generally lead coatings to protect steelwork and wrought iron. However new more durable coatings do have better longevity.
All-over black also causes pedestrian visibility problems should a light not be operative at night, and may well fall foul of new somewhat draconian DDA requirements.
Currently, examples of 1945 - 68 colour schemes can be seen on columns in Clovelly, Gloucester and Dorset Roads W5 which have been renovated by a resident group.
Heritage Status
The new PFI contract with EDF had a large input from the Ealing Civic society to try and safeguard and instigate a design standard for conservation areas. This has resulted in a new heritage style column and swan neck bracket with a Strand lantern in some areas but issues with the height and consequent lighting effectiveness due to trees (in abundance in Ealing Borough) were largely ignored and the ensuing results can be seen. This affects Mattock Lane, Ealing Common and Woodstock Road.
Sadly, Councillors, as is now the norm, faced with telephone book sized documents, seldom have the time or ability to digest and comprehend the minutiae and pass contracts on bullet point details.
The height of a new column in a residential road is based on mathematical formulae for the optimum spread of light and balance, which is quite sensible. However, street trees and moreover, species variation is not in the equation.
In this respect, The difference in lighting was illustrated in Woodstock Avenue W13. Nine tall EDF standard new columns have replaced 9 short Cast iron columns. Whilst the quality of the new type of light is superior, the actual spread of light in the street is no better than before, in fact, during the summer, it is less effective. This is because most lights are now at the same height or higher than the tree cover. If there is one certainty in Ealing, There will never be a budget to prune back trees every year.
Leaf variation also comes into play. Some varieties are more translucent others , like Limes are less so.
The tree factor is going to have an impact of the actual quality of the contract which EDF are undertaking and whilst on paper this may be achieved, in reality it won't be possible.
It may be possible with a combined group of residents, conservationists , councillors and EDF to allocate a district as a Heritage area.
With few of Ealing's conservation areas possesing heritage columns as most have either been replaced before designation or with new heritage style lighting.
My own view is that this need not be a conservation area, but an area where the street furniture compliments the ambience of the area.
That the columns be retained, restored and the lighting upgraded. The area would be large enough to have a stock volume to be serviceable by scale.
Heritage status would protect the ambience, style and aesthetic appearance of a street but not be as restrictive as a conservation area. It would encourage a feeling of pride and care to streets which are largely in good fettle as a result of residents doing their bit. This would encourage more to take pride in their neighbourhood.
This area already exists. Bounded by Boston Manor Road in the west, South Ealing Road in the east and Mattock Lane and Little Ealing Lane in the North and South. It is mixed housing and demographics and therefore not ‘exclusive'.
The good column spacing would allow for a superior standard of lighting from an improved lantern. This would still be a small area in EDF's contract, but big enough to retain a degree of character.
Enough columns could be recycled from the few areas in dire need of improvement outside of the area to make improvements and a stock of spares.
This would also bring other benefits such as film location work and retain at least a part of Ealings historical identity.