Whilst attractions like award-winning Muncaster Castle in the England's Lake District overflow with visitors in the summer season, extending that popularity as the nights draw in is at the same time a challenge and a commercial necessity for operators.

Country houses like Muncaster have a great history of pioneering new technology. Peter Frost-Pennington, whose family have occupied the castle for 800 years, was thus maintaining a proud tradition when he turned to Marl for innovative LED lighting solutions that would not only make access safe and practical for visitors, but could become an attraction in themselves.

Major attraction

Muncaster currently attracts over 90,000 visitors a year, and the imagination and energy devoted to its development is reflected in the array of awards it has gleaned. In 2006 for example it gained the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Award 2006, in the Cumbria for Excellence Awards, and in 2003 it won an Excellence in England award for the best visitor attraction.

One of the best ways of growing this number is to extend the season beyond the peak May – September months right out into the autumn. Usually Muncaster closes its gates at dusk, and visitors only see the splendid gardens during daylight hours. However as night time approaches the gardens take on a completely different persona, particularly as there is little residual light from anywhere else to disturb the sheer darkness of the rural Lake District.

Muncaster has much to offer the nocturnal visitor, not least reputedly England's finest array of ghosts, but there are some specific access issues associated with hosting of visitors after dark.

The most obvious is the 800m walk from the main gate to the castle, which would certainly need to be lit. Equally important is the need for emergency lighting, to maintain safety should the mains supply fail for any reason. The most significant challenge, however, is to give visitors a reason to come.

Metal Halide trial

In 2003, Peter Frost-Pennington started to experiment with floodlights around the gardens – placing 150W metal halide lights directed onto the trees and smaller 50W halogen lights as a fill-in along the walk from the car park. This "Darkest Muncaster" concept was established with the aid of grants from the Millennium Commission and Rural Regeneration Cumbria. The synchronised combination of lights, music, sound and special effects transforms Muncaster's famous gardens into an experience which tingles the senses and entertains the entire family.

Around the Castle itself, Peter created 2 separate lighting "shows" one using the front face of the Castle as a massive screen for computer projections and the other using programmed lighting units in the small valley or ghyll bordering 2 other sides of the Castle. For this ever changing "Ghyll Show" he used a combination of 500W Tungsten Halogen lights and the smaller 50W halogen lights since the standard metal halide lights take several seconds to reach full strength, and need a ten-minute cooling down period before restarting.

Although effective, these types of light are costly to operate. Lifetimes for both the Halogen and the metal halide lights are in the region of 1000 hours use, and their impact on the Castle energy bill was quite noticeable.

LEDs in Darkest Muncaster

As he developed and extended the Darkest Muncaster concept, Frost-Pennington identified Marl as a source of LED lighting, suitable for outdoor use that would match the light output of his existing units but using much lower energy – and with bulb life of 70,000 to 100,000 hours. Peter Frost-Pennington has added Marl LED lamps extensively into the Ghyll Show. Aztec 5W light fittings were installed in as many windows as possible on that side of the Castle, replacing existing 50W fittings. This gives a 90% reduction in energy use.

Marl RGB light engines are particularly effective in this kind of application, as they mix light colour at source – eliminating annoying effects such as triple shadows and fringes. They can fade elegantly from colour to colour – giving the impression that the building is ablaze for example, or providing a 'Mexican wave' effect. With over 16 million colours available for each light, the only constraint on the effects achievable is really the imagination of the designer.

Marl RGB colour change lighting solutions include built in DMX drivers, allowing direct addressing by control consoles. Working closely with lighting designers and Marl's technical staff, it is now possible to easily programme, change and improve shows. In the future, Frost-Pennington hopes to attract other artists and lighting designers to Muncaster to play with the system, creating bespoke effects and eventually co-ordinating these effects with music.

Protecting the environment

The environmental side of this operation is close to Peter Frost-Pennington's heart, living and working in one of England's most beautiful and isolated country areas.

"We're very aware of our surroundings," he explained. "Visitors are always surprised at how dark Muncaster is at night – and it was important to me that our effect lighting is contained to our premises, and doesn't cause unnecessary light pollution in the surrounding area."

Noise considerations ruled out fireworks. Muncaster is the Headquarters of the World Owl Trust – and hosts one of the finest collections of these birds. "Clearly we didn't want to stress our captive birds – let alone the wildlife of the area, of which there is plenty," explained Frost-Pennington. "Darkest Muncaster provides visitors with a breathtaking visual experience without the loud bangs of fireworks."

Finally, energy consumption is always an issue, both from a cost and a carbon emissions perspective. Frost-Pennington said "In one case, we were able to use a single 5W LED lamp to replace two 500W halogen units gelled with different colours. The energy savings achieved by moving to LED lighting are very significant."

Safety

Health and safety is always a top priority for Peter Frost-Pennington, and providing sufficient light to allow visitors to evacuate safely in the event of a power failure was an important issue.

"Normally, safety lighting requires a back-up generator to operate, but LED lights are so efficient that strings of them can be run from a normal UPS for the twenty minutes it takes for visitors to return to their cars," he explained. "This means that the safety lights come on instantly, avoiding the start up delay you would unavoidably get if we were using a generator."

The Future

LED lighting is advancing rapidly, with new and more powerful solutions emerging all of the time. As suitable solutions emerge, the 150W metal halide lamps lighting the path from the car park are obvious targets for replacement. LED lamps able to match the output of the 500W Tungsten Halogen lights are also on the cards. There are four projectors illuminating the front of the castle, and eight 250W up lighters covering the aspect facing the Ghyll. All of these could poten- tially be fulfilled with LED lamps.

England's country houses were amongst the first to embrace many technologies that are now commonplace in every home. Electric light is just one example. Refrigeration is another. Now again, Muncaster is leading the way with a new lighting technology.

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Couture Clubbing, an exquisite clothing design company for high-end events, lit up their unique Heavenly Order dress design with LEDs from Marl International and showcased alongside other 'dresses of light' to celebrate the fusion of light and fashion.

Arrays of dazzling and prestigious garments designed by Amy Winters and Kseniya Zagorodnyuk were on show for the launch of their new company, Couture Clubbing. One of these included a unique helix shaped band wrapped around one of the models which was illuminated with Marl LEDs.

"We were delighted with the striking effects that the LEDs created, they provided a much stronger and brighter colour than previous options we'd tried," said Amy Winters, Creative Director of Couture Clubbing.  "All of the outfits created for this event were themed around the concept of 'Paradise Lost' and tell a unique story.  The helix shaped 'Heavenly Order' represented the solar system so it had to be very bright and striking, which we achieved thanks to Marl's LEDs."

Adrian Rawlinson, managing director of Marl International commented, "We are very pleased to have been approached for inclusion at such an important event and were amazed by the stunning effects that were created by Couture Clubbing. LEDs are becoming more and more popular in many varying sectors due to the high quality illumination produced and their longevity, yet they are still lower in energy consumption than other available lighting options."

About Couture Clubbing

'Couture Clubbing' is the innovative idea brought about by two Central Saint Martins graduates Amy Winters and Kseniya Zagorodnyuk. Professionally they were trained in costume/set/art direction and upon graduation they formed a fashion-entertainment label.

Kseniya worked for Alexander McQueen womenswear and menswear and for Antony McDonald, assisting on designing productions for Royal Opera House and Scottish Ballet. Amy worked on various theatre productions as a set and costume designer and in music videos and short films in art direction

'Couture Clubbing' creates clothes for high-end nightclubs and other glamorous red-carpet events. Unique pieces are created for special events including fashion galas, concerts, award ceremonies and music videos. We incorporate luxury textiles with innovative fabrics that react to light, sound and atmosphere.

We have produced several shows in luxurious venues in London including 'Movida', '24', 'Sketch' and 'Dolce'. We have also showcased at the launch of Dublin's first Science Gallery for the event 'Light Wear' which celebrated the use of light in fashion, providing a platform to showcase the fusion of light technology with visually stunning garments.

For more info, please contact: info@coutureclubbing.com

Following three months of discussion and negotiation, Adrian Rawlinson has acquired the controlling interest in Marl International Ltd.  Graham Round has increased his minority shareholding, whilst Brian Ainley retains a shareholding interest in the Company.

The existing structure of the senior management team will remain in place, with the exception that Brian Ainley’s position as Chairman will now be as Non-Executive.

David Moorhouse and David Ford will remain on the Board of Directors.  It is worth noting that between the five senior officers of Marl, they have 125 years of experience with the company.

The shareholders have decided to make an additional significant investment into the Company in order to take advantage of the exciting opportunities which are emerging in the solid state lighting market for general lighting.  This is an exciting time for the industry and an exciting time for Marl.

New LED uplighters from Marl CreativeArc will produce stunning interior and exterior effects for commercial and domestic premises alike, and are robust enough to withstand tough and wet environments. 

The new Marl 728, 732 and 733 uplight fixtures can be hidden in floors, paths and gardens to offer an unlimited variety of effects to highlight and enhance driveways, landscapes, buildings and shopping centres with attractive displays of light. The range includes the IP68 sealed waterproof 728 series and the 732/3 series with substantial load bearing capability for drive-over applications.

For water features, driveways and paths, the 728 Series is an ideal discrete inground uplighter with IP68 rated protection against long periods of immersion in water and total protection against dust. The polished finish and superb light quality create a perfect solution for decking, pathways, driveways and gardens. A choice of three beam patterns is available and the lens is manufactured in 5mm toughened glass.

Both the 732 and 733 series are capable of withstanding over 2000kg making them ideal for drive over installations including driveways, car parks, landscapes and playgrounds. These highly resilient and stylish fixtures are protected to withstand splashes making them ideal for installing alongside pools or spas. Landscapes and pathways can be stylishly lit with the 733 Series as the light is emitted in a horizontal direction through twelve windows. The 732 and 733 Series have 12mm toughened glass lenses and are IP67 protected against temporary immersion in water.

For more information, please contact us.

Marl CreativeArc, a division of Marl International Limited, today announced the availability of a new dynamic series of lighting fixtures which can fill areas with intense white light or subtly illuminate specific areas with great accuracy. The new low-cost, high quality 725 Series can be installed in walls, ceilings, walkways and stairwells. They are available as standard or adjustable to 80 degrees to create effective mood, display and task lighting.

The new adjustable 725 Series from Marl CreativeArc offers the option to tilt the LED up to 80 degrees, delivering an outstanding concentration of light onto targeted areas. Available in chrome, brass and white, they produce an aesthetically pleasing ambience in any environment. The classic 725 Series with bezel kit is an all-purpose fixture that produces superb lighting levels and is available in three finishes: black anodised, chrome plated or brass plated.

Both easy fit options provide a totally versatile solution and are available in cool and warm white. They feature all the familiar benefits associated with LED technology including a long lifetime, exceptional reliability and durability, ultra low power consumption and they are maintenance free.

Also available is the attractively styled 714 Series which provides excellent illumination without detracting from the aesthetic appeal of a structure. This is available in chrome with cool or warm white illumination. Further options include IP67 sealed fitting to protect against dust and water.

About Marl CreativeArc

Marl CreativeArc is a successful division of Marl International Limited, an independent design, engineering and manufacturing company that specialises in optoelectronic, electronic and mechanical engineering. Marl CreativeArc offers a combination of innovative technology, aesthetic appeal and manufacturing excellence that opens up opportunities to create stunning interior and exterior lighting.

About Marl

Marl has specialised in the design and manufacture of visible LED indication and illumination components and systems for over 30 years, to customers in the electronic, power generation, defence and telecommunications industries. Its highly trained and experienced team of over 100 design and manufacturing specialists operate from a dedicated technology park in Ulverston, England  and stand ready to offer its customers a solution to any requirement. They are able to offer a range of standard products, customised to suit individual projects, or even design a specific component from scratch.  Marl is a quality company. It is registered to BS EN ISO 9001:2000 standard and fully RoHS and WEEE compliant.

For more information, please contact us.