Last change: August 16 2025
Mercury Vapour Lights
Edgebaston, Birmingham
Taken October 2004
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Sep 2020
The following few pics were taken on the stretch of the A38 (Bristol Rd) in Edgebaston, south of Birmingham city centre, between Pebble Mill Rd to the south, and the A4540 (Lee Bank Middleway) to the north. Many of the side streets have mercury fixtures, amazingly some lasted as long as of March 2019.
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Sep 2020
This is a Revo Birmingham fixture, Claire Pendrous also refers to it as a "Precint". It is a variation on the "Hatfield" fixture, with a fully enclosed lamp, possibly a special version done for the city in the 1960s. This one was on Spey Cl, the first one on that street off Bristol Rd. It burned a 80W coated mercury lamp.
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Sep 2020
Cley Cl, off Bristol Rd, and another Revo Birmingham. The ladder bar on the post is only for looks, as far as I know the posts are 1960s vintage like the fixtures.
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of Jan 2024
There are other mercury fixtures on the side roads- this is an AC Ford AC850 remote ballast 80W mercury fixture. Of all the fixtures in this Birmingham section, at time of writing (Aug 2025), this one is the only one left, presumably as it's on private land. That is the parking lot for Century Tower.
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Jun 2014
Aug 2025: Looks like they just hadn't got round to changing them when I wrote the text below in 2019.
This is a Simplex Diadem, again 80W mercury. It was on Pavenham Dr, again the first one on the street.Claire Pendrous on her Midland Counties Streetlighting site reports that Birmingham City Council was cosidering a PFI to sell and lease back their lighting system in 2007, so why these have survived is a mystery.
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Jun 2014
A night shot of the Diadem.
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Sep 2020
Finishing up with a couple of night shots of the Revo on Cley Close.
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Sep 2020
Corrie St/Manchester Rd E, Little Hulton
Taken April 2012
Status unknownCheck attempted on "as of" date (usually via GSV in this case), but status of light could not be determined at that time, usually as fixture could not be found again
as of Jul 2024
This is a very rare sight around these parts- the remains of a Revo Prefect with a 80W mercury lamp. No roadway mercury survived the 1970s changeout to LPS in this part of the world, so to find any remnant of mercury at all is almost unheard of. Indeed I know of no other roadway mercury installations in Salford apart from this one, working or not. This just about counts as a roadway installation, it's located in a back alley at the end of the street mentioned.
Manchester Rd E, Little Hulton
Taken April 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Mar 2023
This is an industrial building which can be seen from a short unnamed street to the north off Manchester Rd E, the next one along to Cocker St, going northwest. 4 shovel hat mercury fixtures, a bit battered but still in one piece.
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Mar 2023
The winter just gone when I took these, I'd actually seen all 4 of them lit one dark afternoon, which prompted me to return with a camera. By the time I did though, the outer envelopes of the lamps has been smashed so their days were numbered at that point. At time of writing (2025) the building is still there but the fixtures were removed some time between Sep 2021 and Mar 2023, unusually nothing replaced them.
Hamilton Street, Astley
Taken March 2002
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2002-2008 sometime
Aug 2025: I thought these poles had been removed, but the one to the right in the pic actually survives in to 2024, albeit with the luminaire smashed. The trees in the pic grew up round it, and were cleared in 2015, revealing the remains. The one on the left was removed between 2002 and 2008, pole and all.
This is a tiny cul-de-sac on the edge of an industrial park with the only two
mercury vapour streetlights I've found in the area. They are Thorn Gamma Six luminaires with 80W MBF lamps. As can be seen from these pictures, the lamps are past their best, having gone noticably green and not giving off that
much light any more- most of the light you can see is spill from the LPS lighting on the main road.
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of May 2024
The road I think must be privately owned because the local council only fits this type of luminaire with a 35W SOX lamp and this would also explain why they've not been relamped for many years. This pole survives in to 2024, but with only smashed remains of a fixture on top.
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of May 2024 (ish)
Perhaps this luminaire was smashed when the trees were cleared.
Warrington
Taken 19-March-2002
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2012
Update October 2017: GSV shows that at least of 2012, this mercury installation survived. However, a more recent view from the main road shows
evidence of metal poles and LED luminaires, so I suspect this installation has now gone.
There's an estate just off to the left of the A49, Winwick Rd leading from the
M62 J9 into the centre of Warrington (before the roundabout that goes to Ikea). The roads pictured here are Lancing Ave, and Toll Bar Rd. Parts of this is still lit with
mercury vapour lights, and they're not bad at all. Most of them are working, and still putting out useful amounts of light.
There are two sorts in use- the ones pictured above are I think are Thorn Beta Fours with 80W MBF lamps on CU 'Avenue 2D' concrete posts. There is another post-top type in use as well. I'm going to go back there when it isn't pouring with rain and get some more pics.
Despite their age, and that they are being gradually replaced with HPS fitting as they fail, I think they provide a pleasant atmosphere for a residential street. The colour especially is more pleasing to my eye than HPS.
Update 25 Jan 2003: I finally got back there and took some better pics- I got there at dusk so you can get more of idea with these pics how good the greenish- white light of
these ancient mercury lamps is. The dead ones are being changed out one by one for 70W HPS on galvanised poles but this short stretch of road survives intact.
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2012
There's one more type of post- top mercury luminaire used on this estate- I've taken advice and it's fairly certain these are GEC 5714s.
Boothstown, Manchester
Taken 18-March-2003
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of May 2018
Pics 18 Mar 2003.
Aug 2025: On looking at the GSV again, this fixture survived longer than I thought - it was gone by May 2018 at the latest. There was one Thorn Area Flood near the car washes that survived until May 2015 also.
When I took these, this was the only garage in the area that I knew of still having some mercury lighting.
This rather sorry looking example of a 400W mercury fluorescent 'with gear' Thorn Alpha Three is at the Total garage on the A580 near Boothstown. Until very recently it still had it's bowl, it was not a dayburner, and the lamp
was very green with age. The rest of the lot is lit with Thorn Area Floods, again mercury, and lamps of a similar age. About 3 weeks ago, they were all relamped, including this one, but in the process it lost its bowl, and now
burns 24/7.
I noticed some other events surrounding the lighting here as this was on my commute.
1 May 2003 - It's stopped working. Along with all the other lighting on the lot.
August 2003 - Someone must have found the breaker as it's working again...still dayburning though.
1 May 2003 - It's stopped working. Along with all the other lighting on the lot.
August 2003 - Someone must have found the breaker as it's working again...still dayburning though.
Cathedral Approach Carpark, Manchester
Taken 24-November-2003
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2015
Update October 2017: In the past few years this whole area has been totally redeveloped, the carpark in the pics has been changed so the whole Salford Approach area is now built on. All traces of the lights in the above pics are now gone.
This car park is made up of waste ground next to the lines leading to Victoria Station, and the old Salford Approach (bottom centre pic.) and Cathedral Approach roads. This area is right next to the Exchange Square/ 1 Deansgate redevelopment, and is quite run down. A good thing for old light spotting, because the some of the lighting used on these long forgotten roads still survives. There are two 1950s Concrete Utilities concrete columns (bottom right pic.) and on them two top- entry BTH 'Urban Enclosed' luminaires with refractor bowls.
They are still in very good condition (not lit anymore though), one column is now host to a multitude of other lighting, but it's impossible to tell whether they use GLS or mercury lamps. I suspect MA/V lamps- I've seen pictures of these luminaires elsewhere in Manchester with mercury lamps in them.
As far as I'm aware, these are the only fittings of this type still standing, anywhere in the Manchester area.
The LH pic. lower down is looking over into Victoria Station- what looks like two Alpha Threes on twin brackets with unknown flat glass luminaires on the other sides.
