Our canopies achieve English Heritage ‘listed’ status
In celebrating the age of the motorcar, English Heritage has given grade II listed status to the iconic petrol station canopies on the A6 at Red Hill in Leicestershire.
The distinctive overlapping parasol design of the canopies originally supplied to Mobil on the A6 at Red Hill near Birstall, Leicestershire, hark back to the golden age of motoring in the 1960s and represent a time when road travel captured the public’s imagination and the motorway was full of futuristic glamour.
The circular Mobil canopies at Red Hill, built in the 1960s, were designed by American architect, Elliot Noyes an important figure in post-war commercial design. He was commissioned by Mobil in 1964 to create an instantly recognisable and attractive design that resulted in the ‘Pegasus’ style petrol station. The design was used internationally and the canopies in Leicester are believed to be the only remaining examples in use in the UK, although several others were built including one at Manor Filling Station, Bitterne Road Southampton.
Featuring three canopies measuring 8.23m in diameter and three at 6.7m diameter, their designs reflect the then futuristic excitement surrounding travel by road.
For further information on the history of petrol station canopies please go to History of Petrol Canopies
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