Six lamp posts along Montpellier Parade

Summary

Six cast iron lamp posts of 1848 design set along a mixed parade of late C19 and early C20 commercial buildings, sited into their current positions after circa 1970.

Reasons for Designation

The lamp posts along Montpellier Parade are listed for the following principal reasons:
* Decorative design: a relatively early design of Victorian mass-produced functional yet decorative street furniture;
* Date: although moved to their current locations in the late C20, these lamp posts are thought to be Victorian and relocated from elsewhere in Harrogate;
* Historical interest: as a marker of Harrogate’s C19 civic pride, the introduction of street lighting from 1848 being a particular focus of the town’s early local authority;
* Streetscape: for their strong visual contribution to the mixed parade of Victorian and early C20 buildings, forming an important part of the conservation area, their impact heightened by being a run of six examples.

History

Harrogate’s first 97 street lamps were installed by the Harrogate Gas Company in 1848 on behalf of the Improvement Commissioners (established in 1841, the forerunner of Harrogate’s local council), with further street lamps added in subsequent years. Historical records show that the provision of street lighting in the mid-C19 was a particular focus for the town’s early local authority, prompting much controversy in the years around 1850. Victorian photographs of lamp posts on Promenade Square, Chapel Street, at Christ Church and the Crown Hotel (all locations for lamp posts installed in 1848) show posts matching the design of those set along Montpellier Parade. A distant view of Montpellier Parade, shown in a circa 1875 photograph, also shows similar lamp posts which had lanterns originally lit with open gas flames, these lanterns being generally replaced after 1898 with smaller ‘Windsor’ style lanterns with more efficient gas mantles, as shown in early C20 photographs. By 1970 Harrogate’s gas lamps had all been converted to electricity, generally with swan neck fittings, these subsequently replaced with more traditionally styled lanterns based on the ‘Windsor’ design.

The 1889-90 1:500 town plan of Harrogate shows two lamp posts in the general area of those on Montpellier Parade, but not in the positions currently occupied. A circa 1970 photograph of the eastern end of the parade does not show any street lamps, suggesting that the entire row of street lamps were installed after this date.

Details

Former gas lamp posts, 1848 design with late C20 lanterns.

FORM: cast iron with a square base with embossed decoration featuring a Yorkshire rose set above a palmette to each face. Rising from the base is a tapering, reeded column topped by a palmette decorated bell capital. Above this are a pair of small lion heads flanked by ornately shaped ladder rests. Above, supported on four curving legs (known as a frog), is a modern reproduction of a ‘Windsor’ style lantern.

STREET SETTING: lighting a pavement set back from the road along a run of late Victorian and early C20 commercial properties, none being listed.

Sources

Books and journals
HH Walker, , History of Harrogate under the Improvement Commissioners 1841-1884, (1986)

Websites
1924 photograph of a similar lamp post in Harrogate, accessed 21/4/2016 from http://www.francisfrith.com/harrogate/harrogate-adelphi-hotel-1924_75646

End of official list entry

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