Drinking Fountain

This is a columnar drinking fountain built in 1880 by A. Nicholson. It is made of pink and grey polished granite with bronze finial fittings. The fountain features two granite steps leading up to a tall grey granite plinth, which has semi-circular basins projecting from all four sides and is backed by arched niches. The narrower upper plinth is inscribed on two sides with "1876 METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS" and "VESTRY OF ST LEONARD, SHOREDITCH." Additional inscriptions include "GREAT EASTERN STREET OPENED BY THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS 1876" on the south side and "NEITHER IS HE THAT PLANTETH ANYTHING; NEITHER HE THAT WATERETH BUT GOD THAT GIVE THE INCREASE (I Cor. 3:7)" on the north side. Above this, there is a tall Ionic column made of polished red granite with a discoloured sandstone capital and a ball finial shaped like an orb. Surrounding the fountain are eight red granite bollards. The north face of the upper plinth is inscribed with "This column erected by the Vestry of St Leonard, Shoreditch, 1880" along with the artist's name. The fountain was originally erected to enhance Great Eastern Street, an important thoroughfare linking Commercial Street and the docks to the main east-west route north of the City. A. Nicholson, the designer, was a local stone merchant based in Mark Lane. The fountain was relocated a short distance to the southeast during street improvements overseen by Transport for London in 2002/3.