Bridge and footbridge lighting, Public realm lighting 1 min read

Granny Dripping Steps

Tucked away in West Hampstead, where Priory Road meets Broadhurst Gardens, sits a footbridge with one of London’s more unusual nicknames: Granny Dripping Steps. This curious name was inspired by “Granny Drippen” a flower-seller who had a stall at one end of the bridge selling her produce.

Spanning six railway lines near West Hampstead Station, Granny Dripping Steps is a vital pedestrian link for local residents. Owned by Transport for London, the footbridge became a focus of community feedback as part of a broader vision to enhance local public spaces and create safer, greener walking routes.

Brief &
Requirements

  • Replace non-functional lighting units that had created a public safety concern
  • Use a robust luminaire that could be installed directly into existing base frames
  • Improve light quality and uniformity across the stairwell and covered walkway
  • Support Camden’s wider ambition to enhance pedestrian-friendly, greener infrastructure
overpass LED lighting makes steps safer

Solution

Following a product demonstration, Acrospire’s Serifa Square luminaires were selected for the covered walkway due to their robust performance and vandal-resistant build. Additionally, a Sprint Mini luminaire was installed at each entrance point of the walkway.

Installed by Marlborough Highways, the luminaires were mounted at a height of 2.6 metres within the existing base frames of the defunct lighting units along the stairwell and enclosed footbridge. The site’s layout—including a 43-metre-long walkway, multiple stair landings, and exposed steel framework—meant the solution had to offer both uniform light distribution and a compact form factor. The Serifa Square bulkheads fit this brief perfectly, delivering bright, neutral white light (4000K) across the entire passage without modification to the existing infrastructure.

Built to endure challenging environments, the Serifa Square is rated IK10++ for impact resistance, making it ideal for exposed, high-traffic public spaces. With tamperproof screws, a low flicker driver, and replaceable LEDs, the Serifa ensures both durability and easy maintenance—essential for urban infrastructure.

The route has now been revitalised with brighter, more reliable lighting providing safer, more pleasant pedestrian connections around West Hampstead.

The Granny Dripping steps have long been a popular and convenient pedestrian route for residents and commuters to get to Finchley Road and access West Hampstead.

Unfortunately, damage to the bridge lighting by anti-social behaviour has meant that at times the route has not been well lit, which has acted as a deterrent for people at night and during the winter months.

Jointly working with Network Rail, TfL, Acrospire and our contractors, we have now installed two new street lighting columns at both entrances of the bridge to illuminate the steps and have also replaced the lighting on the bridge. These include neutral white LED lighting and glazing that is more resistant to damage, creating more energy efficient and robust lighting.

Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet Member for Planning and a Sustainable Camden