Drinking Fountain

This is an ornate, free-standing cast-iron drinking fountain, dated 1894, created by Walter MacFarlane and Sons. It is made of cast iron and granite and stands on a cross-plan masonry plinth with a round base.

The fountain reaches about 3.3 meters in height and features a statue of Samson atop a pillar, which is decorated with olive tree motifs. The pillar supports four quatrefoil basins, which are held up by lion-shaped jambs. An ornamental shield on the pillar commemorates the donor, John Bryan Esq, with the inscription ‘PRESENTED/ BY/ JOHN BRYAN ESQ/ 26 OCT/ 1894’. The overall form of the statue and fountain remains intact, except for the loss of the chained drinking cups that once hung from consoles above the water basins.

A brass plaque attached to the plinth details the restoration of the fountain, which was funded by the Victorian Restoration Committee. It acknowledges the contributions of committee members and the voluntary restoration work carried out by various engineering and building firms. The restoration was supported by proceeds from an auction of a watercolour of the fountain and the sale of a book featuring poetry and prose from Kettering and Northamptonshire. The Kettering Borough Council, in cooperation with the Restoration Committee, oversaw the reinstatement of the fountain during the mayoralty of J.B. Poole from 1984 to 1985.