Christ Church fountain

The fountain was erected in 1900 by the Metropolitan Public Gardens association at the expense of philanthropist John Passmore Edwards. He provided twelve drinking fountains across London and seventy public buildings during his lifetime, Christ Church is one of three that survive. It has a chamfered square stone base on a plinth with a stone bowl on one side and a modern metal bowl on the other. The fountain has a conical roof with four bracketed wooden corner posts and an elaborate copper finial. The whole structure is set on an octagonal step. A copper inscription commemorates the donation by Passmore Edwards and erection of the fountain.

Before restoration, the fountain was fenced off due to its unstable condition, leaning towards the church. A concrete sub-base had failed and caused the entire fountain to subside. One of the Portland stone basins was removed and replaced in 2002 with a steel basin which included a tap and water feed that later stopped working. The wooden roof structure was in overall poor condition. A recent tree fall damaged the wooden beams and the tiled roof and some of the joints and fixings no longer lined up. There was no water supply to the fountain.

Restoration involved the slate tiles and copper finial being removed, the stonework poulticed and the fountain dismantled and all stonework was repaired with joints repointed. A new concrete foundation has been created including a new feed and waste pipe. New taps have been inserted. The timber roof structure has been repaired, the slate tiles replaced and the fountain is connected to water. This project was completed in 2025 and supported thanks to Delancey.