215A. Various Streets, Chew Magna, Somerset With thanks to Dwight for informing me of these Survivors. Installed on pole brackets throughout this village are a number of 1960s' Phosware (CU Phosco) P158 lanterns designed for running 60 - 200 Watt GLS (tungsten) and 80 - 125 Watt MBF (mercury vapour) lamps, and many still appear to be running MBF lamps in 2024.
The first example is seen on Harford Square.
The Perspex bowls feature no optical controls whatsoever.
A large patch of dirt exists beneath the lamp, reducing the lantern's output quite substantially.
The fact that these lights are supported on wooden poles with underground services suggests that they are a legacy from an old overhead wiring system that was decommissioned and removed long ago.
This wooden pole is in poor condition, with the top having split around one of the bracket's coach bolts.
This bowlless example is to be found on the approach to St Andrew's Church.
This is one example that has been converted to LED - the lack of a bowl will mean that the replacement 'corn' lamp is extremely glary...until water ingress causes it to fail!
A Philips capacitor and non-original photocell detector are visible within the lantern, suggesting that although the lantern was converted, the ballast may remain behind the baffle plate; albeit, no longer in operation.
I took this photograph in the hope that I would be able to read a date code on the capacitor; alas, I could not.
A short distance away, this wall-mounted example exists on the junction of The Chalks and Tunbridge Road.
This too has a heavily-soiled bowl.
This example on The Chalks itself was accommodated on a rather long AC Ford bracket.
A relatively narrow fuse box, topped with a SELC / Westire photocell, allows the supply cable to terminate.
This example on Tunbridge Road is outside the Baptist Church.
Here, the fuse box is part of the bracket.
Several examples exist on Silver Street.
The close-up reveals that the bowl is slightly ajar; the original 'Oddie' locking key having been lost through time, requiring some improvisation with a cable tie to keep the bowl in something akin to a closed state.
This example is on the other side of St Andrew's Church.
A small crack originating at the bowl hinge exists.
The rear portion of this example's bowl is painted black as a measure to mitigate against unwanted light trespass into adjacent windows.
The masking is limited to the sides and back of the bowl.
Viewing the lantern from the other direction reveals that the bowl is damaged, allowing the MBF lamp to be seen within the lantern.
The final example on Silver Street is attached to a dedicated BT pole.
In the modern era, affixing street lighting apparatus to BT poles is prohibited, but was acceptable in the past.
The bowl was also missing completely from this example on Butham Lane.
The missing bowl allows the three-pin bayonet lampholder to be seen, confirming that these lanterns were designed for running mercury lamps.
The lantern's name is cast into the rear of the lantern, alongside the Oddie key slot.
A Bosch capacitor is fitted in this lantern - this appear to be in poor condition.
This example is located on Norton Lane, at the junction of North Chew Terrace.
The fuse box here is a later hinged GRP type.
Another example is situated further down Norton Lane.
This P158 has an undamaged bowl, but yet again, the underside shows signs of dirt ingress.
By contrast, this final P158 had a damaged bowl.
Two separate lengths of insulation tape hold the bowl in place, which shows several cracks in its structure.
The village is home to a few other older lanterns; this Simplex Diadem Major is attached to a short wall bracket on South Parade.
Although the bowl is discoloured, the canopy's paint has worn and the gear cover has some surface rust, the lantern is complete.
This AC Ford AC888 is to be found on The Chalks.
A small hole exists in the bowl, leading debris to gather in it too.
Just off North Chew Terrace is this wall-mounted P111 lantern - another Phosco product.
As an older-style Philips ballast is employed in this P111, this may be an MBF example too. The glass refractor ring is broken.
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