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Historic street power landmark restored

Northern Powergrid A freshly-painted bright green electricity distribution pillar with a black plaque fastened to its centre which reads 'The British Electric Transformer Co, Hayes, Middlesex'. It stands before a sandstone weathered wall with houses and empty branches in the background.Northern Powergrid
The pillar was still named "Vintage YEB Distribution Pillar S.S.S.I" in the Northern Powergrid records

An historic relic of Sheffield's industrial past has been restored to its original condition after a campaign to find its owner.

The electricity distribution pillar on Greystones Road, which dates back to 1900, had been rusting with peeling paint when it was spotted by Howard Bayley.

Mr Bayley contacted Northern Powergrid, who asked civil engineer Tom Barnard to search company records for more details. He discovered the pillar had been disconnected from the electrical supply in 2016 and remained in the firm's ownership.

Mr Bayley said the rejuvenated landmark looked "wonderful".

Due to the age of the pillar, Mr Barnard contacted local, specialist contractors who were able to carry out the restoration.

The many layers of old paint were removed through sandblasting, taking it back to the bare metal. Lead paint debris was confined and completely removed in the process.

The pillar was repainted to a classic Northern Powergrid colour called "Holly Bush Green".

Mr Barnard said he was keen to help Mr Bayley as he could sense his "passion" for the project.

"My first port of call was Historic England and that's how I found out its significance as a Grade II-listed structure which is still located in its original position.

"I then worked with several different teams here at Northern Powergrid to check if the pillar was still one of our assets," he added.

Northern Powergrid An electricity distribution pillar with peeling, faded green paint revealing a rusted base beneath. It stands against a sandstone weathered wall with overgrown shrubbery surrounding it.Northern Powergrid
Mr Barnard worked with Sheffield City Council and Historic England to ensure guidance and legislations were followed to remove the old paint

Mr Bayley said: "Doesn't that look wonderful? They've done a great job. I'm absolutely delighted!"

"It's been a sorry sight for a long time so it's lovely to see that it is now an attractive feature with a new coat of paint deserving of a lovely little part of our heritage," Mr Bayley, who is also a member of Friends of Wardsend Cemetery, added.

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