Goulding Street, off Shelton Old Road, Shelton, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire With thanks to AgentHalogen_87 for informing me of these Survivors. Located on the thoroughfare between Shelton Old Road and Liverpool Road that was Goulding Street (and Dean Street prior to being renamed in the 1950s) are several Abacus 10 m tubular steel columns supporting Urbis ZX3 lanterns that appear to be installed solely to provide illumination to adjacent trees and bushes. Of course, there is more to this unusual arrangement than meets the eye - the columns actually mark the position of a former exit slip road that led from a large roundabout onto Liverpool Road. The roundabout became a H-shaped junction as part of the A500 Queensway flyunder construction works of the mid-2000s; this Google Earth 2003 aerial photograph shows the former road layout in this area. Quite why the columns were not removed as part of the redevelopment is unknown, but none of the lanterns are likely to be operational any longer; indeed, one of the ZX3s is nothing more than a vandalised shell these days. Quite remarkably, these are not the only Survivors in this area - an even older 10 m column supporting a GEC Z9554M, for 135 Watt SOX (low pressure sodium) lamps, still exists near the Shelton Old Road junction, which is likely to pre-date the demolition of Goulding Street that was necessary to construct the slip road in the first place; this historical map shows how the area used to look in the past.
I can't quite believe that I am now able to consider these (presumably) 1980s' - 90s' installations as 'Survivors', but the fact that they 'survived' when the road that they were lighting was lost is a good enough reason for them to be documented to me! Additionally, as the ZX3s would have run a high pressure sodium (SON) lamp source, they might as well be considered outdated in comparison to the Philips Luma LED lantern that illuminates Shelton Old Road itself these days! Both columns are 10 m in height, but the perspective that they are seen here makes the older column appear shorter.
The ZX3's plastic canopy has become ingrained with dirt, as has the inside of the bowl. The polycarbonate has discoloured slightly over time, although a rather blackened lamp still exists within the optic.
The second abandoned column is virtually in line with the older column supporting the Z9554M. I would doubt that the SOX lantern works any longer either.
The use of stainless steel clips to secure the rear (hinged) portion of the ZX3 canopy confirms that they are 1990s' examples - older types employed orange plastic clips located on top of the hinged section instead. Of course, the ZX3s may have replaced other SOX lanterns long ago - if so, by 2025, when these pictures were taken, they have probably been unlit for longer than they were operational!
The older column is heavily rusted throughout its length.
The Z9554M's interior looks decidedly filthy, although a lamp may still be present within it.
Despite the disuse, the 'SealSafe' optic of the ZX3 remains relatively clean on this example.
This is the most damaged example of the group.
The canopy is missing completely, and various wires are hanging out of the aluminium chassis.
The ignitor (or capacitor) is visible on the gear tray.
The bowl and lamp are missing too, and the reflector appears heavily corroded.
The final installation demonstrates how absurd these columns now appear, given that around twenty years of plant growth has occurred on the land that they lit formerly.
Give it a few more years, and the trees will have become so tall that the lantern will be completely obscured.
For now, the bowl remains (mostly) visible from ground level.
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