174L. Off Lower Loveday Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham With thanks to AgentHalogen_87 for informing me of these Survivors. Attached to the boundary wall of a premises that is located opposite the junction of Cliveland Street are several wall-mounted cranked tubular steel posts supporting double configuration Thorn Precinct fittings. While one set of Precincts lights the roadway leading down to the car parking area, the other set illuminate the towpath of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. While the Precinct made its début in the 1972 Lighting Catalogue, it remained in production until the early 2000s, and certainly, these examples appear to be of the latter type. As a bonus, the wall of a building that is accessed from the road lit with the Precincts has a GEC Z8420 attached to it - there is nothing 'modern' about this lantern, however; it probably dates back to the 1960s.
Very well camouflaged against a backdrop of modern apartments, the cranked posts supporting the Precincts are seen heading down the access road.
The posts are open at their lower end, allowing a single supply cable to feed each one.
The Precinct canopies all retain a reasonable amount of their black paint, and the bowls remain undiscoloured.
The first three examples are seen from a different angle, from the canal towpath.
Looking the other way, more examples are seen.
The Precinct was designed for this back-to-back double operation as an option; the central column adaptor can accommodate one or two Precincts.
The furthest example along saw the bowl missing from the right-hand lantern.
A rather grimy elliptical lamp (probably a high pressure sodium (SON) type) remains within the open lantern. Notice the heavy corrosion to the underside of these Precincts - the closer proximity to the canal could be the reason for this.
The Z8420 is visible above the railings.
This may have replaced a much older GEC lantern, given the design of the cast iron fuse / control gear box situated beneath it.
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