21i - Stretton, Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire

21I. Stretton, Burton-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire Still extant in this large village on the edge of the town are three Stanton 10F 15 ft concrete lighting columns in virtually original condition. Not only have the columns not been sleeved; they also retain their GEC Z9491 lanterns (the gear-in-head version of the Z9481). Today, these lanterns run 26 Watt SOX-E lamps (Staffordshire preferring SOX-E lamps to conventional SOX lamps), although, given the age of the installations, when new, they could have run 60 Watt SOI/H lamps, which are the same physical size as the modern-day 26 Watt lamps.

The first example pictured is located at the junction of Church Road and Dovecliff Road. The column is built into an attractive planted area that was constructed a few years prior to the installation being photographed. (Sadly, by 2020, this installation had been replaced, and the planted area returned to being a grass verge.)

Only the installation of a Zodion two-part photocell detector to the lantern's canopy marks the passage of time.

Aside from requiring an internal clean, the lantern's bowl is in perfect condition.

The lantern watches over what is a (surprisingly) busy junction.

The join between the bracket and the column is also in good condition, with only minor signs of spalling being visible.

One downside to creating the planted area immediately behind the column is that access to its base must now be severely compromised - the column's inspection door facing away from the carriageway. Having the litter bin attached to the column must hamper access still further.

The lamp's low-slung position within the lantern is clear - the rest of the space being taken up with the lamp control gear, which, if it is still original as well, is likely to be rather bulky.

The second example is located on Church Road itself. A Simmonsigns Pulsa Twin-Amber Flasher unit is attached to the column, owing to the unit being within the proximity of a nearby school. Again, by 2020, this installation was no more.

The condition of the joint between the bracket and column is poorer on this example, with a hairline crack descending vertically down the column.

The reflector plate hiding the control gear is visible within the lantern.

Another example was to be found on Beech Lane; this was removed in early 2023.

Sadly, one of the bowl hinges on this example has broken, necessitating the need to wrap an unsightly cable tie around the lantern, in order to hold the bowl in place.

The final installation exists on Claymills Road, near its junction with the A38.

This installation, and the one pictured immediately above, remained extant in 2020.