Stolen 1950s street lamps light up city again
Cambridge City CouncilTwo Grade II listed 1950s street lamps stolen 18 months ago have been restored and reinstalled.
They were among three lanterns - known as Richardson Candles - taken from St John's Street and Trumpington Street, Cambridge, at various times around September 2024.
They were designed by architect Sir Albert Edward Richardson, who was commissioned to come up with bespoke street lighting for the city in 1957, according to Historic England.
After extensive repairs approved by the city council's conservation team, two of the lamps were recently returned to Trumpington Street. The third had been reinstalled in March 2025.
Richardson Candles are vertical, tubular lanterns. Nearly half of those installed in the 1950s survive.
They were based on a design that had been on show at the Festival of Britain in 1951.
Of three lamps taken, one was found damaged in a churchyard, while the other two were recovered by police in Barkway, near Royston, Hertfordshire, in January 2025.
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