The installation is in good condition for its age, with no obvious spalling being visible.

This design is far more streamlined in appearance than its 1930s' counterpart was.

As with the earlier design, the lantern is not intended to run with any sort of cover beneath the lamp. This has had a rather detrimental effect on its inside, with the aluminium appearing rather corroded, and the original lamp support having been replaced with a plastic cable tie wrapped around the lantern. Although the earlier design incorporated adjustable mirrored reflectors within the lantern, I am not certain that such optical control was provided in these later lanterns.

Nearby, on Mather Avenue, is another 'Highway X' column, but this one is fitted with a metal extension bracket to increase the overall height to 30 ft (10 m). The bracket could be an official CU product, as my 1980s' catalogue gives the option of using a traditional concrete bracket with the 'New Highway' column, or a steel tube bracket instead. The lantern here is another unusual Wardle product - this is believed to be a 4000, and again, is not seen outside of Liverpool. When pictured in August 2023, it was operating in daylight.

A characteristic of these lanterns is their mint-green canopies. These lanterns did incorporate a shallow bowl beneath the lamp, though the fixing for the one on this example has, clearly, failed, as another cable tie is wrapped around the lantern.

Also a 1960s' product, these lanterns were designed to run a 200 Watt SOI/H lamp - the modern 135 Watt SOX equivalent being electrically-compatible with the older lamp control gear.

Situated within the library grounds was Poppy the Penguin - an art sculpture dating back to 2009. She declined to comment when asked to discuss Liverpool's Wardle lanterns.

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