9c - Doles Lane, Findern

9c. Doles Lane, Findern. Situated on the forecourt of the former Archway Motors showroom and car repair garage are two 76 mm (3 inch) diameter posts supporting Falks 'Beaufort' utilitarian post-top lanterns, dating from the 1950s/60s. The Beauforts were available with canopies of diameters of 20, 25 or 34 inches (508, 635 or 863.6 mm), with the two here appearing to be the 25 inch version. Various optical options were available for these lanterns too - the cheapest being a bare tungsten filament lamp surrounded by a glass refractor dome, but half-length bowl and full-length cone configurations were alternatives; this type having the latter setup, making them the S.93856C version in the Falks catalogue. With the site now up for sale, the future of these two lanterns hangs in the balance.

Prior to the garage's closure, this Beaufort hadn't been lit for a long time; however, the other example was operational.

A characteristic of these lanterns are the four rods that link the base section to the wide canopy.

The second example is in slightly poorer condition, with the Perspex cone having incurred damage some years earlier.

The cone has slipped downwards very slightly, allowing the lamp to be glimpsed just below the canopy.

The top section of the canopy is removable, allowing access to the lamp and internal wiring.

Sadly, by May 2021, redevelopment at the garage site had commenced, and both installations were lost.