Fountain and pond basin at Milton Mount Gardens (former Worth Park)

The fountain and pond basin form a garden feature dating to circa 1884-87, created by the firm of James Pulham and Son for Sir Francis Abraham Montefiore at Worth Park, and now located within Milton Mount Gardens. The fountain itself is constructed from moulded terracotta, coloured to resemble stone (Pulhamite). The fountain consists of a lobed, twenty-sided circular basin structure with an egg and dart cornice and leaf motifs positioned below, and is set upon a raised base. The surrounding circular pond basin is bounded by a low Pulhamite retaining wall. The fountain is the dominant feature of the lower garden level, positioned opposite the main steps that originally fronted the now-demolished mansion.

The site was originally part of the Forest of Worth, dating back to the Norman Conquest. Sir Joseph Montefiore purchased the estate in 1850; after the original house was destroyed by fire in 1853, a grand red brick mansion was built and shown on an 1879 Ordnance Survey map. Between 1884 and 1887, Sir Francis Abraham Montefiore rebuilt this mansion and added a new stable block, and commissioned James Pulham and Son to create the gardens. The gardens were designed across four levels to adapt to the sloping site, incorporating Pulhamite artificial rock features and pre-cast garden ornaments using a stone-coloured terracotta material, of which the fountain is a prime example.

The fountain is the largest garden ornament of moulded terracotta constructed by James Pulham and Son for Sir Joseph Montefiore at the former Worth Park, and remains complete. It is one of several substantial garden features by the firm still present at Milton Mount Gardens. The feature is situated within a publicly accessible landscape of local interest.