Fountain

WORCESTER

SO8454NW CRIPPLEGATE PARK 620-1/15/205 Fountain 05/04/71

II

Fountain. Dated 1858. Believed to be by Hardy and Padmore, Iron founders of Worcester. Cast-iron on stone plinth; sunken pool in rendered brickwork with stone coping, pool base of off-white glazed bricks. Fountain has 2-stage hexagonal base, each face of upper-section has moulded lion masks within shallow elliptical recesses. Foliated urn above carries large shallow bowl with water-lily motif decoration to underside, periphery of bowl carries small lion masks with band of bead-and-reel decoration below and egg-and-dart above; masks conceal water jets. A similar but much smaller diameter bowl above the first is carried on the tails of two intertwined fish. 2 putti standing on a raised platform in the upper bowl clasp the main single vertical jet of the fountain. Plaques on base inscribed, "This fountain was presented to the City of Worcester by Richard Padmore Esq. 1858." and "Re-erected in this park 1924." Re-painted in 1990, the colour scheme of dark green, cream and gold was based on a simple paint scrape analysis. Circular pool has further plaque, "Cripplegate Park opened by Samuel Southall, Mayor. 19th June 1922. Ald. J S Crook, Chairman of General Progress Committee." HISTORICAL NOTE: The iron foundry of Robert Hardy and Co. was established in 1814, becoming Hardy and Padmore c1829 and ceasing trading in 1968. Their products included engines, stoves and ranges as well as more ornamental items. Fine public examples of their work in the City include the balustrade lanterns on Worcester Bridge (qv), Foregate Street railway bridge parapet(qv), the Arboretum gates [now at the Infirmary (qv)], and the former Market Hall clock [opposite the Guildhall (qv)] as well as more mundane items such as lamp pillars and brackets [examples in Britannia Square (qv)], park benches, bollards, junction boxes and manhole covers. It is thought that the fountain was originally located in the Market Hall in the High Street. An almost identical fountain exists in the garden of Queensberry House, Old Palace Lane, Richmond-upon-Thames. A very similar, though more elaborate fountain exists at the Château Impney near Droitwich, Worcs. Messrs. Handyside and Co. of the Britannia Works in Derby illustrate the same design of fountain in their catalogue. It seems very unlikely that Richard Padmore would have presented the City with a product from one of his company's competitors but it raises questions as to the manufacturer of the fountains at Droitwich and Richmond.