Fountain

The fountain located in Laura Place was built in 1877 and reconstructed in 1977, with only the basin remaining from the original design. It was created by AS Goodridge and is made of limestone. The fountain has a square plan with segmental bays on each side, nearly forming a circle. The outer bowl features rounded coping and a moulded plinth with small colonnettes at the corners. The center consists of a pedestal with a shallow, straight-sided bowl that has chutes extending toward the corners, leading to a cylindrical shaft and a smaller bowl topped with a 20th-century lead ball finial, which replaced the original gadrooned urn. The fountain was originally erected to commemorate the centenary of the Bath and Western Counties Agricultural Society, but its design has changed significantly since then. The reconstruction in 1977 was intended to mark its bicentenary. Historically, the center of Laura Place was proposed as a site for a column to honor Nelson in 1805 and for a "Reform pillar" designed by HE Goodridge in 1832, reflecting the Whig sympathies of the Pulteney family.