Drinking Fountain Attached To Church Walls And Railing To Church Of St Martin-In-The-Fields

The drinking fountain attached to the walls and railings of the Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields is a memorial fountain dating from around 1886. It was provided through the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association. Made of granite, the fountain features a plain arch with a battered base, a central round-arched niche for the fountain, and a segmental arched niche at the base for a dog bowl. There is an inscription in memory of William Gilson Humphry, who was the vicar of the parish. The fountain was restored and a replica bronze lion mash spout was installed around 1989.

The Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association, founded in 1859 and adding cattle troughs in 1867, aimed to provide free fresh water at a time when it was often easier to obtain ale and spirits than clean water. The association, which was rooted in Christian ideals of water and purity, attracted evangelical Victorian patrons who supported its mission and contributed to its designs.