Three Dragon And Onion Lamp Posts To South Of Church Of St Mary

Three 'Dragon and Onion' lamp posts are located to the south of the Church of St Mary in Cheltenham. They were first lit on 6th February 1897 and were designed by Borough Engineer Joseph Hall, with casting done by Messrs McDowall, Stevens and Company Ltd from London and Glasgow. These lamp posts are made of cast iron and feature a bollard design with half-bollards adorned with shields displaying the town's motto "Salubritas et Eruditio." Each lamp post has an arched lamp-holder, dragon infill, and a crowning onion finial. They were intended for electricity, making them an early and notably elaborate example of their type. The cost of the lamp posts was £9.15.0d. The design motif is derived from the coat of arms of the borough, which was granted to the town 11 years after its incorporation. The lamp posts were likely moved to their current location from the High Street. They form a group with two other 'Dragon and Onion' lamp posts to the west of the Church of St Mary, and similar examples can be found in Cambray Place and Trafalgar Street.