St Lawrence Jewry Drinking Fountain

Drinking fountain, 1866, to the designs of John Robinson, sculpture by Joseph Durham.

MATERIALS: Portland stone with polished pink granite columns, and bronze relief sculpture.

DESCRIPTION: the monument is square in plan, approximately 9.5 metres high and 2.7 metres wide, with the fountain element projecting from the north face; it stands on two low steps.

Executed in an elaborate Gothic style, it takes the form of a substantial base (approximately two metres high), carrying a canopy formed of four hooded niches and a central sprocketed spire. A band of carved shields runs around the top of the base. The niches have trefoil arches, with the hoods over being steeply pitched and sprocketed, with a pointed arch and foliate designs carved into the tympana. The hoods are supported by granite columns with stiff leaf capitals. In the north-facing niche is a carved stone statue of St Lawrence holding a grid iron (on which he was martyred) and in the south-facing niche is a statue of St Mary Magdalene holding a cross, and with a skull at her feet. The other two niches are empty but are believed to have originally held the names of past benefactors of the churches carved into white marble slabs.

The fountain is on the north face of the monument and takes the form of a niche with carved hood resting on granite columns. Set into the niche is a bronze bas-relief of Moses striking the rock at Horeb (Exodus. XVII. IV-VI), water runs down the face of the bronze from where Moses’ staff strikes. To the left of Moses is the figure of a woman holding a cup of water to her child’s mouth. The water flows into a shallow stone bowl which projects out from the fountain and is supported on a broad granite column with stone base. On the south side of the monument a new brass tap has been fitted for modern use.

A bronze plaque has been attached to the east side of the monument which reads:

CITY / OF / LONDON / THE ST LAWRENCE & MARY MAGDALENE DRINKING FOUNTAIN / COMMISSIONED BY THE UNITED PARISHES OF / ST LAWRENCE JEWRY & ST MARY MAGDALENE / ORIGINALLY LOCATED IN THE GUILDHALL YARD / OUTSIDE THE CHURCH OF ST LAWRENCE JEWRY FROM 1866 TO 1970 / DESIGNED BY ARCHITECT JOHN ROBINSON AND SCULPTOR JOSEPH DURHAM / RESTORED AND RELOCATED HERE IN 2010

The monument has undergone restoration, with a quantity of the stonework having to be replaced.