Summary

An electricity junction box of the early C20, manufactured by Hardy and Padmore of Worcester.

Description

An electricity junction box of the early C20, manufactured by Hardy and Padmore of Worcester.

MATERIALS AND PLAN: the junction box is constructed of cast-iron and is square on plan.

DESCRIPTION: The electricity junction box is located on St Ann's Road near to the junction with Worcester Road.

The junction box has a low pyramidal cap with castellated edges above a moulded cornice, supported at each corner by an inward-scrolled corbel.  The front and rear both feature a door with a moulded surround, two decorative strap hinges at the right hand side, and a Jacobean-style geometric strapwork relief detailed in gold paint. The two sides are plain with moulded edges. They each have a circular relief reading ‘Hardy and Padmore Limited, Worcester'. The box is mounted on a square base with panelled sides.

History

Electrical junction boxes were introduced across England from the late-C19 and were part of the distribution and supply infrastructure needed to transfer electricity from where it was generated to its point of use. The junction box, or feeder pillar, was designed to take power from the grid and control the electrical supply to a number of buildings in the surrounding area.

The St Ann's Road junction box is the work of Hardy and Padmore, whose foundry was based in nearby Worcester. Robert and John Hardy set up their business in 1814 and Richard Padmore joined the partnership in 1829. The foundry was an important English producer of goods for worldwide distribution, including lamp posts, tram wire supports and poles, bollards, thresholds and manhole covers. Hardy and Padmore went into voluntary liquidation in 1967. A number of their products are listed including several gas lamps, and examples of feeder pillars on Library Walk and in Lincoln Square, Manchester (National Heritage List for England (NHLE) entries 1449639, 1475459, 1475254 and 1475255). Another listed feeder pillar is located within the suburb of Hornsey, London (NHLE entry 1359591).

Reasons for Listing

The electricity junction box on St Ann’s Road, Malvern, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* for the well-detailed design by Hardy and Padmore of Worcester, which demonstrates the consideration given to electricity infrastructure in the early-C20.

Historic interest:

* as an important survival of early-C20 electrical infrastructure, illustrating the first age of electrical supply.

Recommended Books

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)