113BA. Saint Crispin Drive, Upton, West Northamptonshire Attached to a building that used to serve as part of the sprawling Saint Crispin's Psychiatric Hospital is a corner bracket supporting a Phosco P178 post-top lantern. As the hospital closed in 1995, the thirty subsequent years of abandonment have not been kind to this installation, or indeed, the building to which it is attached, with both having suffered heavy vandalism. Much of the site is now redeveloped for housing, but both this building, and the water tower (disguised as an elaborate clock tower) behind, remain unloved, and in ever-increasing poor condition. Although the housing developer is supposed to be undertaking restoration work on these buildings, work has progressed slowly, and a cynic might believe that the condition is being allowed to deteriorate deliberately, as a way of declaring that demolition is the only viable option.

The P178 is barely visible amidst the faded grandeur of the old hospital buildings.

The bowl is missing completely, but surprisingly, the lamp (a 55 Watt SOX (low pressure sodium) type) is intact. Humorously, this is so long that it extends the full diameter of the lantern.

The ripped blinds at the smashed surrounding windows wafted slowly in the slight March breeze.

The support frame between the lower section and canopy is bent, causing the lantern to be positioned at a slight angle. The corner bracket must be an official product for use with the P178, as the base casting slides into it, and is secured with grub screws that pass through the bracket structure.

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