No 1 gasholder, Kennington Lane Gasholder Station

Gasholder. Built in 1877-9 by Corbet Woodall for the Phoenix Gas Light and Coke Company and enlarged in 1891-2 for the South Metropolitan Gas Company by Frank Livesey. Originally of two lifts it was later increased to four, including a flying lift.

The guide frame of Gasholder No. 1 is approximately 135 ft (41 m) high to the tops of the guide rails (originally 90 ft), while the crown of the flying lift rose to over 180 ft (55 m) when fully inflated. The frame is of wrought iron, with 24 T-section lattice standards. The standards originally had a uniform taper but when the guide frame was extended an extra, middle section was inserted without a taper, giving a distinctive three-stage profile. The standards are fabricated from flat bars, with plates and angle irons for the flanges, and the webs are divided into St Andrew's cross panels which diminish in height towards the top so as to maintain their proportions. Semi-circular gusset plates at the ends of the bars strengthen the riveted connections. The standards are bolted down to the tank through compact, hollow cast-iron base plates with the bolts arranged in a line down each side. The tops of the standards are rounded to a quadrant and stays were added in 1890 to support extensions of the guide rails, which have open, flared tops to catch the flying lift as it descends. The guide rails themselves are of channel section instead of the original flat-bottomed rails, a change probably made in 1890.

The standards are connected by three rows of horizontal girders, of which the top and bottom are original. The webs have bracing of shallow-sloped round bars forming elongated St Andrew's crosses, two in the length of each girder, and vertical spacer bars of cast-iron. These bars are of a baluster shape, with embossed miniature Phoenix emblems. The middle girder, added in 1890, has a simplified version in lattice work.

The holder has diagonal bracing of flat bars, with two tiers of bracing in each panel of the frame. The bars are riveted at their ends to gusset plates and they are clipped together where they cross each other.

The tank is surrounded by the original railings of 1879. They have circular cast-iron standards and square rails.

The bell, of four lifts including the upper 'flying lift' which extended above the top of the guide frame, has side sheeting in long sections of mid-C20 date and the roller carriages are also modern. It is unclear, therefore, if any earlier fabric of the bell survives.

The tank is of traditional brickwork, but on mass concrete footings. It is 44 ft 6ins (13.6 m) deep overall and 218 ft (66.5 m) in diameter.

Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 ('the Act') it is declared that both the bell (including the flying lift) and tank (excluding the railings) are not of special architectural or historic interest.