Electricity Junction Box, Lavender Road

Electricity Junction Box, Lavender Road, Gheluvelt Park, Worcester, WR3 7AA

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1491924
Date first listed:: 31-Jan-2025
List Entry Name:: Electricity Junction Box, Lavender Road
Statutory Address:: Electricity Junction Box, Lavender Road, Gheluvelt Park, Worcester, WR3 7AA

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1491924
Date first listed:: 31-Jan-2025
List Entry Name:: Electricity Junction Box, Lavender Road
Location Description:
Statutory Address 1:: Electricity Junction Box, Lavender Road, Gheluvelt Park, Worcester, WR3 7AA

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Electricity Junction Box, Lavender Road, Gheluvelt Park, Worcester, WR3 7AA

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Worcestershire
District:: Worcester (District Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SO8455856574

Summary

An electricity junction box of the early-C20, manufactured by Hardy and Padmore of Worcester.

Reasons for Designation

The Electricity Junction Box on Lavender Road is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* for the well-detailed design by Hardy and Padmore of Worcester, which demonstrates the consideration given to electricity infrastructure in the early-C20.

Historic interest:

* as an important survival of early-C20 electrical infrastructure, illustrating the first age of electrical supply.

History

Electrical junction boxes were introduced across England from the late-C19 and were part of the distribution and supply infrastructure needed to transfer electricity from where it was generated to its point of use. The junction box, or feeder pillar, was designed to take power from the grid and control the electrical supply to a number of buildings and infrastructure in the surrounding area.

In 1901, the Worcester Tramways Act authorised the expansion and electrification of the tram network. At this point, the British Electric Traction Co, of which the Worcester Electric Traction Co was a subsidiary, acquired the Worcester Tramways Company in 1902, having had a financial interest since 1899. As a result of this increased demand for electricity, a junction box was installed at Lavender Road around this time. The trams then ran under this system until 1928, when the services were replaced by omnibuses.

The Lavender Road junction box is the work of Hardy and Padmore, whose foundry was based in Worcester. Robert and John Hardy set up their business in 1814 and Richard Padmore joined the partnership in 1829. The foundry was an important English producer of goods for worldwide distribution, including lamp posts, tram wire supports and poles, bollards, thresholds and manhole covers. Hardy and Padmore went into voluntary liquidation in 1967. A number of their products are listed including several gas lamps, and examples of feeder pillars on Library Walk and in Lincoln Square, Manchester (National Heritage List for England (NHLE) entries 1449639, 1475459, 1475254 and 1475255). Another listed feeder pillar is located within the suburb of Hornsey, London (NHLE entry 1359591).

Details

An electricity junction box of the early-C20, manufactured by Hardy and Padmore of Worcester.

MATERIALS AND PLAN: the junction box is constructed of cast-iron and is square on plan.

DESCRIPTION: the electricity junction box is located on the north-eastern corner of Gheluvelt Park (Registered at Grade II, NHLE entry 1425120) and is situated between the railings and brick pillar, forming part of the boundary to the park.

The junction box has a low pyramidal cap above a moulded cornice. There are two main elevations, both with doors, accessible from both Lavender Road and from within Gheluvelt Park. The doors have moulded surrounds, and both feature the magnet logo of the Worcester Electric Traction Co. The doors also have six small ventilation holes at both the top and bottom. The junction box is situated on a two-stepped square base with rounded edges.

Sources

Websites
Grace's Guide to British Industrial History, accessed 25/09/2024 from https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Hardy_and_Padmore

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.