Find London's sewage powered street lamp

It's another piece of London trivia, but Carting Lane, just off the Strand, is home to London’s only remaining sewer-powered street lamp.


The lamp is a Webb Patent Sewer Gas Lamp, and was invented in the 19th century as a way to burn off smells from underground sewers. As such, it's probably the only of London's remaining gas-powered lamps with operates all the time, day and night, as the cost of resources is no object.

Over the years, people have hilariously dubbed the lane "Farting Lane" as a result of the lamp's presence and when your author wandered by yesterday at about 3pm the lamp was, sure enough, lit as usual.

Your author understands that the lamp was almost destroyed some time ago by a reversing lorry, but has since been restored and stands proudly beside the Savoy Hotel, which is still undergoing major refurbishments.

For more on gas lighting in London you could try IanVisits or this old post on here.