Electricty Junction Box, Beckett Drive

Electricity Junction Box, 2 Beckett Drive, Worcester, WR3 7BZ

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

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1492102
Date first listed:: 31-Jan-2025
List Entry Name:: Electricty Junction Box, Beckett Drive
Statutory Address:: Electricity Junction Box, 2 Beckett Drive, Worcester, WR3 7BZ

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1492102
Date first listed:: 31-Jan-2025
List Entry Name:: Electricty Junction Box, Beckett Drive
Location Description:
Statutory Address 1:: Electricity Junction Box, 2 Beckett Drive, Worcester, WR3 7BZ

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, 2 Beckett Drive, Worcester, WR3 7BZ

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:: SO8462457693

Summary

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

Reasons for Designation

The electricity junction box on Beckett Drive, Worcester, 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 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 the increased demand for electricity, a junction box was installed at Beckett Drive around this time. The trams then ran under this system until 1928, when the services were replaced by omnibuses.

The Beckett Drive 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 junction box is located at the junction of Beckett Drive with Ombersley Road. The front of the box is set flush with the boundary wall of 2 Beckett Drive.

It has a low pyramidal cap with castellated edges above a moulded cornice, supported at each corner by an inward-scrolled corbel. The door to the front of the box has a moulded surround, two decorative strap hinges at the right hand side, and a Jacobean-style geometric strapwork relief. The two short sides are plain with moulded edges. They each have a circular relief reading ‘Hardy and Padmore Limited, Worcester’.

Sources

Websites
Worcestershire Industrial Archaeology & Local History Society, accessed 15/10/2024 from https://wialhs.org.uk/

Legal

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