Bath City upgrades heritage lights from SON to LED

Acrospire has retrofitted heritage lighting on Bath’s Grade II listed North Parade Bridge from SON to LED.
Working on behalf of the local authority, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Acrospire refurbished the four heritage-style lanterns, restoring the original housings and integrating new 40W 2700K COB (Chip on Board) LED units with T3 optics. Each lantern was finished in black with a traditional gold finial, ensuring the appearance remained in keeping with the bridge’s historic context and Bath’s wider heritage lighting scheme.
The solution was also designed with sustainability in mind. By refurbishing and reusing the original lanterns rather than replacing them entirely, the project supports circular economy principles, extending the lifespan of existing assets, reducing material waste, and preserving the unique character of the site.
In addition, the lanterns were made fully compatible with the council’s Central Management System (CMS), allowing for dimming schedules that reduce light levels during off-peak times. This approach cuts energy use while maintaining safety and visual comfort for pedestrians.
The result is an upgrade so subtle, most people haven’t noticed the difference — except when it comes to reduced energy consumption.
The upgrade forms part of a wider programme to modernise lighting assets across the World Heritage Site, improving energy efficiency and enabling CMS connectivity while preserving the bridge’s original character.
With the bridge’s listed status and highly sensitive visual setting, the challenge was to deliver a low-glare lighting solution that blended in seamlessly and preserved the historic character of the structure.
The client commented: ’Everyone at Acrospire is really helpful and will do whatever it takes to get the job done properly. It’s such a good job that no one’s noticed the difference since the switch, apart from the energy savings, which is always the best result in my books’
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