Preserving Bath’s Heritage: Acrospire develops Holburne Heritage Lanterns for LED upgrade

Acrospire collaborated with Volker Highways and Bath & North East Somerset Council to upgrade the lighting infrastructure along London Road, a historic artery in Bath. Recognising the need to preserve the area’s Victorian charm while enhancing energy efficiency, the project replaced inefficient SON and SOX lamps with LED technology. Acrospire’s solution, the Holburne Heritage Lanterns, not only met the technical requirements but also blended seamlessly with Bath’s architectural heritage.

London Road, nestled in the heart of Bath, offers a unique glimpse into the city’s rich history and industrial past. Despite being overlooked by more tourist-centric areas, London Road holds its own with quaint antique stores and a gritty, time-worn ambience reminiscent of Victorian times.

Bath’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site underscored the importance of preserving its architectural integrity, particularly when attempting to modernise the city’s lighting. Bath & North East Somerset Council collaborated with Spiers and Major to devise a lighting strategy that specified using light not only to create an appropriate ambience after dark but also to help define the city’s overall character and distinguish between different areas. This approach was applied to a recent heritage lighting LED upgrade project along London Road.

Stephen Burrell, Principal Engineer Street Lighting, Highways Maintenance & Drainage, Environmental Services, Bath & North East Somerset Council, commented, “We had finished the upgrade of our functional streetlighting, which was quite straightforward. However, when it came to our heritage lanterns, every location was different, effectively making each project bespoke. We have about 400- 500 heritage luminaires across the region and the upgrade from the designs to the installation at each site has been unique.”

Acrospire developed new heritage lanterns specifically for the London Road project, replacing the existing SON and SOX lamps with LED while retaining a classical Victorian appearance. The new heritage lantern, named Holburne, takes its name from the Holburne Museum, where the core of the present-day collection was established by Sir Thomas William Holburne (1793–1874).

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail and using locally sourced materials, these lanterns embody the timeless elegance of Bath’s architectural heritage. Available in two sizes, small and large, the Holburne lanterns boast a warm 3000K colour temperature and precision optics to maintain the area’s classical charm while directing light where needed.

The upgrade to LED technology resulted in energy savings while paying homage to Bath’s cherished heritage status.

By introducing the Holburne heritage lanterns along London Road, the project improved energy efficiency and contributed to the continued celebration of Bath’s architectural characters and legacy.

Stephen said, “As cities strive to balance progress with heritage conservation, initiatives like this serve as good examples of sustainable urban development. With every project unique, what helps is working with a manufacturer like Acrospire, who are always there to help, make suggestions and problem solve for each location.”