Historic fountain gets a revamp

27 November 2009

The fountain today

AN HISTORICAL fountain almost 100 years old will be removed from Weston's seafront next year.

The Coalbrookdale Fountain on the Beach Lawns is due to be given a £28,500 restoration.

The fountain in 1923

The Grade II listed fountain has been stood in the elements since the early 1900s. Various parts have eroded and disappeared and these will be reinstated and the whole fountain will be re-painted in imitation bronze.

Missing or damaged cast iron elements will be repaired using replica pieces made from cast iron.

The fountain in 1916

It is hoped the restoration of the fountain will make it resemble its appearance shown in postcards circa 1916 and the square around it will be remodelled to provide a better setting.

The seafront feature has stood on the seafront since it was donated to the town in 1910 and shows a cherub wrestling with a snake.

It was given to Weston by a Mr Macfarlane when the Beach Lawns were opened to the public.

The boy fighting with a serpent is thought to be based on classical mythology and a reference to Laocoon and his sons. Laocoon was a priest at Troy and warned the Trojans about the danger of bringing in the wooden horse, so in revenge the Gods sent a snake to strangle him.

A planning application to remove the feature, and return it when the Pier Square area has been revamped, was submitted to North Somerset Council this week.

If approved the Coalbrookdale Fountain, also known as the Macfarlane fountain, will be taken away and restored by Dorothea Restorations Ltd.

It will then be reinstated back on the Beach Lawns to complete the Pier Square overhaul.

The area will be part-pedestrianised, with traffic being re-routed to reduce congestion, thanks to cash from the South West Regional Development Agency.

Council officers are expected to make a decision on the proposals by the end of December.