Frome’s Cockey Lamps

Walking through Frome, you can spot a key sign of Frome’s past: the distinctive Cockey Lamps. Frome has a rich and distinctive history in many industries ranging from textiles, farming, livestock and markets, to metal-work, and printing. This diverse heritage is still seen today making Frome an interesting town to live and work. 

‘Cockey Lamps’ are one of the remarkable legacies of Frome. These ornate lamps are now listed for their architectural importance. Made by the Cockey family, the ‘art nouveau’ light is recognisable by its distinctive leaf pattern. Cockey originally made these for gas, though they were later converted to electricity. The Cockey Lamps are unique to Frome.

Lewis Cockey came from a long established family of clock makers. He first came to Frome in 1685, where he began casting church bells. He cast at least 62 bells in the surrounding areas. Later the family diversified, and in the early 19th Century began casting for the Gas industry. Thanks to him, Frome had Gas Street lighting as early as 1831.

As the lamps are such an important part of Frome’s heritage, Frome Town Council has photographed and recorded the remaining lamps within the town. Photographs of some the lamps can be viewed here: Frome Cockey Lamps 2016 – please have a look at the photographs and if you know of any more lamps that we’ve missed, let us know so that we can add them to our records.