113DC. Kislingbury Road / Butts Hill Crescent, Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire Situated at the junction of Kislingbury Road and Johns Road is a wooden pole supporting a lengthy outreach bracket and top-entry Thorn Beta 5 lantern. Presumably, the considerable outreach was intentional, as this places the lantern directly above the carriageway, providing illumination over the junction. Until around 2014, the pole was fed on an overhead electricity supply, but following the undergrounding of some cables in this area, this arrangement was disbanded. I am surprised that the whole installation was not renewed during this time too, but the fact that it wasn't ensures that its quirkiness will live on into the future, particularly as the lantern's 35 Watt SOX lamp and gear have been changed to an LED equivalent.
The Beta 5, normally designed for mounting heights of around five metres, looks very out of proportion at this increased height.
A rather formidable-looking end piece allows the lantern to couple to the bracket.
The installation is likely to date from around the 1930s, although the Beta 5 will be a replacement for the original lantern.
The replacement LED lamp setup resembles a long compact fluorescent lamp.
A modern GRP fuse box is installed on the pole, alongside the original (and considerably smaller) cast iron one - the latter now serving as a connection point for the bracket, although the base of the original porcelain fuse cut-out remains.
An identical installation exists on the 90 degree bend on Butts Hill Crescent.
A slightly different top-entry adaptor finial is employed here, but this Beta 5 also runs an LED lamp.
Two separate stay bars support the lengthy outreach.
The original fuse box cover is missing here too, although a replacement is fitted.
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