Drinking Fountain

The drinking fountain located in the center of the square in Saffron Walden was built in 1862. It was designed by J Bentley, known for Westminster Cathedral, to commemorate the marriage of Edward, Prince of Wales. The fountain was purchased by G Stacey Gibson and exhibited at the Imperial Exhibition.

It features contrasting stone with spouts and bowls on the east and west faces, rising from a cruciform base made of red sandstone with a stepped podium. There are niches on the north and south sides, with the south side containing a bowl for animals to drink from. Above this is a white limestone stage with semicircular bowls made of grey marble.

The upper ornamental stages are crafted from oolitic limestone, adorned with green and red brecciated marble shafts, and include inlaid work in marble and glass. The fountain has a crenellated cornice supported by corner shafts and a corbel-table. It is topped with gabled trefoiled niches that have clustered corner shafts on each face, featuring sculptures of Biblical figures related to water or building themes.

Above these niches, the structure reduces into two registers of castellated units, with corner shafts supporting angle turrets. The upper turret has a marble roundel with a colored marble ball pattern in a Venetian style on each face. An iron finial passes through an iron circlet that is decorated with glass bead ornamentation.