Caring for our Park and Palace is a year-round commitment with a mission to restore, reuse, and respect its heritage. Sometimes that care comes in unexpected forms, such as uncovering original copper lanterns and giving them a new lease of life.

Keeping the glow alive

Iain McDonald, Head of Facilities, has a long-standing connection with historic lamps. “There are two main types across the park, originally made by a single company that supplied gas lamps all over the city,” he explains. “I’ve always been passionate about saving them, especially as so many places replace everything with modern fittings.”

That passion is shared by long-servicing Chief Engineer, Giancarlo Margarido, whose ingenuity has helped source original Windsor-style lanterns that would otherwise have been lost. Some were rescued from scrap yards; others carefully rebuilt using parts from damaged fittings. “Sometimes one good lamp comes from two broken ones,” he says. “They’re beautifully handmade, all copper, and definitely worth saving.”

While the lanterns retain their historic appearance, the technology inside has moved with the times. Many of the lamps now use energy-efficient LED light sources but are carefully chosen to preserve the warm yellow glow you’d expect from a Victorian gas lamp. It’s not just atmospheric; it’s also kinder to wildlife, with bats preferring softer light levels.

Almost three-quarters of the park’s lamps have already been upgraded for efficiency, and those removed or lost over time are now being reintroduced with their original features intact, all restored in-house by our own team.

Craft, care and continuity

Restoration isn’t without its challenges. From correcting leaning lamp columns to upgrading isolation switches for safety, every detail matters. But this careful work reflects a wider approach across the Palace estate, from limewashing, brick repairs, restoring decorative features, and continually upskilling our in-house team.

For Giancarlo, that mix of old and new is what makes Alexandra Park and Palace so special. “I’m an engineer, so I like fixing things,” he says. “And this is the place to do it. There’s a lot to fix, and a lot worth saving and celebrating.”

In winter, the restored lamps take on an extra magic. Think Dickens, snow-dusted paths and that unmistakable Victorian glow. It’s a reminder that by investing in our heritage, we’re not just preserving the past, we’re lighting the way forward for generations to come.