Channel Gate Road, London Borough of Ealing Leading into the Willesden Logistics Hub and Induction Centre for the HS2 (High Speed 2) rail project are two 25 ft (8 m) tubular steel columns supporting Falks (later, Thorn) 'Grenville' lanterns, for 250 - 400 Watt MBF (mercury vapour) lamps. The Grenville fitting was common on railway land, and was probably a standard British Rail choice in areas where high levels of illumination were required - often, they are still seen used in multiple on high gantry towers around sidings and the like. Whilst the HS2 use of this site is relatively recent, the land has been given over to railway use for many years - previously, it served as a Freight Centre for the Channel Tunnel, and was owned by the English, Welsh and Scottish (EWS) railway goods company, but from the early days of railways, had always contained engine sheds and sidings, owing to its proximity to the nearby Willesden Junction. Prior to the Channel Tunnel involvement, the road was part of the adjoining Stephenson Street.
This column is the closest to the depot entrance, with the residential terrace of Stephenson Street leading off to the right. Formerly, a double-bracketed column, also supporting Grenvilles, was located at the depot entrance; however, this had been removed at some point after October 2020, but before these pictures were taken, in July 2026.
A rather bizarre adaption / bodge has seen an Ansell-branded floodlight attached to a section of angle iron, which then appears to be attached to the Grenville.
Although ordinarily a top-entry product, these Grenvilles are side-entry instead. Despite having become (seemingly) disused, the dished glass bowl is intact - just a little grubby.
The second column is situated on a more tree-lined section of the road, but a convenient clearing in the branches allowed the lantern to be glimpsed without difficulty.
Surprisingly, despite the proximity to the trees, the interior of this Grenville appears cleaner than the previous example does. The blackening to the lamp within the floodlight suggests that it too may no longer be used.
As a bonus, the gated back alley to Stephenson Street is home to a 15 ft (5 m) cast iron column, which today supports a GEC Z5698U post-top lantern, for 35 - 55 Watt SOX (low pressure sodium lamps. Stephenson Street itself was lit with the same in the early 1980s, and the proof of this is the music video for "Our House" by Madness, as Stephenson Street (specifically, No. 47) was used as the location for the video - click here to watch it. Presumably, this column survived because of the gated access hindering attempts to replace it.
The Z5698U may also have become abandoned, as although it looks to be fitted with a NEMA photocell socket, there is no longer a photocell installed in it.
The lack of ladder bars must have made repairing this lantern, given the Z5698U's internal construction, slightly precarious.
The column base is just visible through the flowers - it is probably old enough to have been installed at the same time that Stephenson Street, and the surrounding terraced roads, were built; the properties serving as accommodation for railway workers originally.
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