Church garden fountain that dodged blitz bomb gets new lease of life
Free fresh drinking water is once again available in Southwark’s Christ Church Garden – thanks to the restoration of an historic fountain which survived a Second World War bomb.
Some 130 young people were involved in the restoration project.
Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) partnered with Southwark council and developer Delancey Real Estate to complete the work on the Victorian drinking fountain at the south end of Blackfriars Bridge. The drinking fountain is the 14th to be fully restored across the city by HOLT.
The young people from local schools and youth groups visited the fountain, met conservators, and enjoyed creative and stonemasonry workshops as part of HOLT’s Proud Places youth engagement programme.
The Christ Church drinking fountain was erected in 1900 when the churchyard was re-landscaped and opened as a public garden by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association.
The church was destroyed by bombing in 1941 – its burning cross fell into the churchyard, scorching the ground, which is still marked in the ground.
In recent years, the fountain had partially sunk into the ground and a falling tree had damaged the roof. The extensive damage meant the fountain had been switched off for some years. The original carved stone bowl and taps were also missing.
Now the drinking fountain has been set on new foundations to combat subsidence issues and has a fresh drainage system. Its roof has also been repaired, and new taps have been installed along with a brand-new, hand-carved stone water basin.
It is hoped the project will help people save money on buying bottled water, reduce plastic bottle litter, and encourage more community use of this green space in Southwark.
Dr Nicola Stacey, director at HOLT, said: “We are thrilled to restore this beautiful historic fountain – now back in use as a public amenity after so many years. This is one of 14 historic fountains we’ve restored across the city and it’s fantastic to see the local community making use of it. Many thanks to our supporters Delancey who have helped make this project possible.”
Southwark council parks officer Dominic Leary said: “The fountain sits in Christ Church Gardens, an important local green space that provides the community of Southwark with a restful enclave among the hustle and bustle of
the cityscape.”
The Christ Church drinking fountain was erected in 1900 by John Passmore Edwards (1823–1911) a prominent publisher, journalist and philanthropist.
He was a passionate advocate for improving the lives of the working class, in particular ensuring their access to clean water. He donated 11 drinking fountains throughout his lifetime, including the Christ Church fountain, which is one of three which remain today.
In 1902, the South London Press reported: “He had recently endeavoured to ascertain in what way the greatest amount of good could be achieved at the smallest cost, and had come to the conclusion that money could not be better spent for the general benefit of the community than in the establishment of drinking fountains in open spaces.”
Public drinking fountains were introduced to London in the 1850s as water-borne diseases spread among the rapidly expanding urban population. Fountains provided a vital public amenity for those who could not afford piped water in their homes.
Pictured top: A young person learns about stonemasonry as part of a Proud Places visit to the fountain during works (Picture: Heritage of London Trust)