William Sugg & Co Heritage Lighting
You may not know the name William Sugg & Co, but you’ll be familiar with their product. For 175 years, the company has been a leader in the supply and installation of heritage lighting. After a turbulent period in which the business nearly collapsed, William Sugg & Co is enjoying a revival at Blatchford Road Industrial Estate in Horsham…
VICTORIAN HERITAGE
There is a framed poster in the offices of William Sugg & Co with drawings of its most popular street lights. Although the company now makes lighting for both interior and exterior use, it’s historically associated with lights that illuminated Victorian England. At a glance, street lights may seem identical, but a closer inspection will reveal that the bases, posts and lanterns vary in shape and decorative features. William Sugg & Co named many of its own designs after the London boroughs where they first appeared, including The Westminster, The Metropole, The Strand, The Lambeth, The Regent, The Whitehall and The Westminster. There’s an equally long list of cast columns too. One of the most common is The Trafalgar, which had bases made with obsolete cannons.
THE WINDSOR
The most popular of William Sugg & Co’s lanterns was the Windsor, which had four glass panels around a hand-crafted copper lantern, which narrowed towards the bottom. Alan Jordan is currently busy restoring 50 removed from Covent Garden. The Coppersmith said: ‘The Windsor is available in five sizes and the Covent Garden ones are small, 14” lanterns. There are several finishes available, as customers can choose a natural, lacquered or painted finish. When it comes to London lights, most choose a traditional look of rustic copper. Once I have finished these, I’ll be working on KC lanterns (Kensington & Chelsea) which will be painted green. We have been involved in many interesting projects for museums, castles and historic buildings. We made lights for the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park and Flambeau lights for London Dungeons. It’s very rewarding to create something that contributes to the culture and history of our towns and cities.’
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
There are few aspects of London that are not subject to unusual quirks of tradition, particularly those concerning the monarchy. Street lighting is no different. There are literally hundreds of patented Sugg designs (some of the originals have been lost, although many have survived) and in some cases they detail only tiny variations of a theme. For example, Windsor lanterns for Royal parks all differ slightly. However, these unique features are important when it comes to restoring or replicating them. One current project involves the restoration of 9m columns and lanterns from Admiralty Arch, each of which is adorned with miniature ships.
However, William Sugg & Co caters for more than just restoration projects in the UK. General Manager Lucy Bubb said: ‘English heritage is in demand all over the world and we have received commissions from private and corporate clients from America to Asia to Australia.’
‘Sometimes, people send a photo of what they’re looking for. It could be one of our popular designs, or something that incorporates elements of several. As well as restoring heritage lights, we can design and build entirely new ones, each tailored to individual specifications. When you consider the potential variations in terms of column hight, lantern shape, ladder bar patterns, glass panels, decorative gilding, and both electrical and gas options, the possibilities are endless.’
TWIST IN THE TALE
To tell the story of William Sugg & Co, you have to go back to 1837, the year Dickens published the first volume of Oliver Twist and Queen Victoria took to the throne. Thomas Sugg had made the UK’s first gas pipes in the early 19th century and his son William pursued similar interests, setting up Sugg, Pywell & Co in Westminster in 1837. Three years later, it was renamed William Sugg & Co.
By the 1880s, the company had a reputation as one of the country’s leading lighting manufacturers, supplying and installing lighting for Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge. Its lights were made with strong materials and often incorporated the kind of ornate gilding that typified the Victorian age. Following William’s death in 1907, the Sugg family continued to be involved and it P.C Sugg developed a lighting laboratory too. Five years after a hostile takeover by Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd in 1968, Chris Sugg (William’s great-great grandson) formed a new company, Sugg Lighting Ltd, specialising in heritage lighting. This was eventually sold to F. W. Thorpe PLC, but the family name was retained and in 2019, William Sugg & Company was reformed. Chris Sugg still works for the company as a historical advisor.
Office Manager Maggie Hinton said: ‘When we were based in Foundry Lane, Horsham, the business almost shut down, as an investor with little interest in the brand’s history stripped most of its assets. Fortunately, two new investors with a passion for the brand and its history stepped forward and relaunched the company, leading to the return of key members of staff. Now the passion and inspiration has returned and we are on an upward trajectory.’
ELECTRIC CONVERSION
William Sugg pioneered gas lighting in Victorian England and for decades the company thrived by focusing not only on gas lights, but apparatus for gas heating, cooking and ventilation too. There remains a nostalgic desire for gas lights among those seeking the sultry atmosphere it omits, so the company continues to have an in-house gas expert, Paul Lane. However, most of Sugg’s designs today are also available as electric lights with energy efficient LED bulbs.
Lucy Bubb said: ‘Local authorities across the UK are switching from gas to LED, because there are environmental benefits and they require less maintenance. It can be a contentious subject though. Some street lights are protected by English Heritage and it’s important to maintain their aesthetic appeal and authenticity. In some places, lamps have been removed by councils without consultation and that has caused a furore. A group called the London Gasketeers have campaigned against the removal of gas lights, most notably in Westminster. So, we’re flexible with our services and have created a mantle that can accommodate modern, energy-saving LED bulbs while replicating the authentic look of gas light.’
ROYAL DUTY
You don’t need to travel far to find a William Sugg light, which can be identified not only by the name, but also the presence of gilded oak leaves. They can be found in the Carfax and in other towns up and down the land. One recent job saw the company restore lights along Eastbourne promenade. There’s demand from tourist attractions like the Bluebell Railway and Amberley Heritage Museum, and even from Hollywood. William Sugg & Co provided 200 lights for the 2018 remake of Mary Poppins. During AAH’s visit, Sheet Metal Technician Peter Farrell was working on a special type of Windsor, larger than usual, destined for Tottenham Hotspur FC.
However, the most prestigious assignment in recent times was working on the Platinum Jubilee gift for H.M Queen Elizabeth II. General Manager Lucy said: ‘The Houses of Parliament presented the Queen with a gift at each jubilee and to mark Her Majesty’s 70th year on the throne, commissioned two bronze statues
featuring the heralded beasts of the UK, which incorporated magnificent crowns to serve as illuminated beacons. They measure 1.1m high and 80cm in diameter and took several months for us to make. Sadly, the Queen died before she could see them, but King Charles officially unveiled them in her jubilee year.’
THE FUTURE
Some experienced members of the team are helping to train apprentices, to ensure their unique skills are passed on and that heritage lights can be restored for generations to come. The company has ambitions to expand its work force further in years to come, as it explores new opportunities in both the commercial and residential sectors.
Whatever the future holds, the company will continue to honour the Sugg name, says Alan Jordan: ‘There have been difficult times, but now we are turning a corner and there’s cause for optimism. We are pricing jobs properly now, placing honest value on the skills we have in the factory. Everything is done by hand and
although we’re up against production lines who can operate faster and cheaper, they don’t have our heritage and expertise. There will always be a market for such skills. This business has existed in one form or another for over 150 years and hopefully it’ll be around for a good many more yet!’
WORDS: BEN MORRIS / PHOTOS: ALAN WRIGHT
This article was published on 1st March 2023
Further information:William Sugg & Co, 23 Blatchford Close, Horsham, RH13 5RG
