Gas Lamp Post Beside the Passage to Marlowe Road

The gas lamp post beside the passage to Marlowe Road on Millington Road in Cambridge is a Grade II listed street lamp, erected around 1889 by the Cambridge University and Town Gas Light Company.

This lamp is made of cast iron and features a design that is loosely inspired by classical columns. It has a fluted shaft that stands on a circular base, which is set upon an octagonal plinth. The shaft tapers slightly before widening to form a plain banded capital. Atop the shaft is a simple four-sided lantern made of metal and glass, which is supported by four curved metal brackets and topped with a spike finial. Additionally, a ladder-rest extends from the base of the lantern.

Gas lighting was first introduced to Cambridge in about 1822 by John Grafton, who initially produced gas from oil before switching to coal. His company evolved into the Cambridge Gas-Light Company in 1834, and later became the Cambridge University and Town Gas Light Company in 1867. Gas production at the riverside site ceased in 1969 with the introduction of North Sea gas. Millington Road was developed on land owned by King's College in 1889 and was soon supplied with gas by the Cambridge University and Town Gas Light Company. The gas lamps, including this one, are still in use today.

This gas lamp post is notable for its finely-detailed 19th-century design and its continued use of gas lighting. It is part of a group of ten other listed gas lamp posts of the same date and design located along Millington Road, contributing to its group value.