Engineers Keep York's Gas Lamps Glowing

Gas engineers turned back the clock during a project in York city centre when they needed to work on the city’s historic gas lamps.

The team from United Utilities were working on a scheme on behalf of Northern Gas Networks to replace the old metal gas mains in the Low Petergate area of the city. And the gas powered street lights posed an unusual challenge.

Amanda White, the United Utilities Customer Liaison Officer who co-ordinated the project explained: “The gas lamps around the Minster are a real rarity and there aren’t many still in use in this country so it was a big challenge for our engineers.

“It was the first time they’ve ever had the opportunity to work on traditional gas street lights. By renewing the old metal mains that supply gas to the lights with modern plastic pipeline which is safer and more reliable, it ensures that the gas lights will continue to light up the Minster for years to come.”

The £40,000 project to replace around 400m of gas mains in Low Petergate and Minster Gate was carried out by engineers from United Utilities and Morgan Est and forms part of a £1.6 million programme of works in the York district this year.