Experts bring 1930s charm back to Heywood landmark with £4m restoration 

Historic lighting columns which once sat on Heywood’s Queen’s Park Bridge almost a century ago have been lovingly recreated as part of the council’s £4m repair of the structure.

The old lighting columns stood proudly on the bridge when it was first opened in the 1930s, but they were lost to time, as rust and weather damage took their toll.

Heritage lighting experts have now rebuilt the lighting columns so that when they are reinstated at the end of the project they will look just as they would have done when the bridge was first unveiled in 1933.

The delicate job has been undertaken by Middleton-based Metcraft lighting, who have been honing their craft in the borough for more than 40 years.

Experts at Metcraft have painstakingly worked though the many stages of restoration, which has included using remnants of the previous lights to create moulds which perfectly replicated the original size and pattern before getting them set in cast iron at a foundry in Brighouse.

In recent days, the final touches have been completed, with experts from North-West based, J3 UK Engineering, who have previously worked in Buckingham Palace, delicately painting the lion motifs which appear on the front of the columns in gold leaf.

 

 

In keeping with the original design, there will be five lighting columns on each side of the bridge, in addition to ornate lighting brackets at each end, giving 14 historic pieces, which will be lit up, to provide additional lighting to complement the normal street lights. 

Lorenzo Durante, from Metcraft, said: “We’ve worked all over the UK, including on the lighting columns on Westminster Bridge, near the UK Parliament buildings in London, but it’s particularly satisfying to work on something in our home borough.

“The original lighting columns were too damaged to be saved, but we had enough of them to enable us to create exact replicas. Everything is as it would have been in the 1930s, even down to the intricate patterns and the materials used. 

“Even the paint colour is the same, as we took original paint samples from the columns. The only difference is that they will be treated to ensure they don’t rust and deteriorate like the originals did. 

“It’s been wonderful undertaking this process and seeing the spectacular end result.”

 

 

Councillor Shah Wazir, cabinet member for Highways at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “This is a wonderful project, as there are so many aspects to it. 

“As well as an important repair of a vital bridge, it has involved the restoration of vital pieces of architecture from Heywood’s past. 

“The lights are looking resplendent and I think they will be real show stoppers once they’re back on the bridge for all to see at the end of the project.

“I’m also particularly pleased that they were restored by experts on our doorstep in Middleton. With the main contractors on this project being based in Heywood, this project has been a truly Rochdale affair.”

The restoration of Queen’s Park Bridge is being undertaken by Heywood company, BDB Special Projects Ltd, and is due to be completed in spring 2025.