Fountain, Ropner Park, Stockton-on-Tees

The ornamental fountain in Ropner Park, Stockton-on-Tees, was created in 1893 by Walter Macfarlane and Company of Saracen Foundry in Glasgow. It is made of cast iron and features a three-tiered spray design.

The lower basin is octofoil in shape and set into a concrete base. Its outer rim displays a repeating pattern of passion-flower rosettes, separated by scrolled features, with a central daisy flower motif. Small pipes project from this basin to feed an outer basin, which is enclosed by a circular concrete wall.

At the center of the lower basin stands a cylindrical shaft mounted on a square concrete base. This shaft is adorned with an ivy-leaf upper frieze and features four reliefs depicting two alternating scenes: one shows a squirrel on an oak branch holding an acorn, accompanied by a bird and a dragonfly; the other depicts a putto wearing a campanula flower as a hat while sailing a boat made from a leaf. Surrounding the shaft are four columns with chamfered and stopped octagonal bases, along with foliated shafts and capitals. One of the column bases is inscribed in relief with the maker’s name: MACFARLANE'S / GLASGOW.

Above the central shaft is a large circular bowl with a leafy outer rim and bulrush-and-lotus-leaf detailing on the underside. Rising from this bowl are four herons with outstretched wings, standing on a base of rushes, lily pads, and lily flowers that serve as spouts. The base is supported by an octagonal plinth with canted and rippled sides. Daffodil flowers project over the heads of the herons from the central shaft. At the very top of the central shaft is a smaller ribbed and beaded leafy bowl, which features a putto seated on a mushroom in its center, holding aloft a lily pad by its stem that forms a small conical bowl with a water spout inside.