Hello all,

I'm being brave and having a go at initiating a new topic myself, titled 'Ivy Columns'.  I have had a scout through the Board Index and I don't think there is another subject exactly like this, however if this is not the case and I have just not looked hard enough, then moderators/forum managers please remove this!

I came across this almost strangled and suffocated street light today, and so I thought it would be good to give a home to images of columns with immense plant growth up them.  Here is my first image.

I know that it's not going to be often that we will all see a street light subjected to major plant growth, but I'm sure there are several in the many locations that we have here in the UK.

All the best  

That's in Fulford near Aldi... I wired up a garage and did some duct work for a guy down that street.

There has been the odd photo of 'green' columns every now and then, but usually just a case of submitting for POTS and that's it. I'm not so sure about metal columns, but ivy growing up a concrete column won't be doing it any good - on a house any growing ivy can pull out mortar between the bricks, and because it's a plant it can also spread damp much higher up a building.

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Interesting topic! I think Indust uploaded a photo a while back of an example, albeit not as drastic as yours!

http://www.ukastle.co.uk/discussion/gallery/image_page.php?album_id=48&image_id=2785

Thank you chaps  

Yes I had seen Indust's 'Attack of the Ivy' picture earlier on and I'll PM him and see if he want's to add a post in and link his great image - especially with it being a unique shape and what I guess is a concrete column.

Location exactly right Mazeteam - not as half as good as your 'guess the location' pictures!  I wonder if Amey will remove the whole shrub if they have to get into the running gear housing of the column, or even just re-lamping!

Thank you Alex, I just thought it would be good to provide a special home for any that are spotted!  

When there is a plant completely covering the access door then it does usually get trimmed back a little bit just for access... but generally it can be tricky as the plant is privately owned but is encroaching onto something publicly owned, so there's a case of "is it right to take the plant down completely or not?"... obviously it would go completely if a new column went up, and a big part of the plant would go if a Stela got fitted post-top to the column, for example.

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I'm aware that some of you have already seen this but I'll post it here anyway . The column is indeed concrete and dates from the 1950s and is a Concrete Utilities 'Byway' column, complete with arc bracket (and then the top entry Beta 5 was installed most likely in the 70s). It's not usually covered this much in ivy, the guys from the council come around and chop it down usually, but as it's in a very leafy alleyway, it always comes back!



I've also included a full column shot!

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"I used to rule the world... Now I sweep the streets I used to own."
Remembering GEC.

How about this one  

There's a column under there?! I wonder how often that lantern gets call-outs because 'it's not working'....

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That is a cracking find nick217!  I wonder what lantern is used in that immediate area?

I believe it to be a 1980's T/E Beta 5 on a nice old concrete column