Fountain, Castle Gardens, Castle Street, Lisburn, Co. Antrim

This decorative cast-iron fountain, erected around 1875, stands within Castle Gardens in Lisburn, County Antrim. It is considered to have a group value with the other listed structures within the gardens. The fountain is believed to have originally been located at Sir Richard Wallace’s residence, the Château de Bagatelle, in Paris, and was sent to Lisburn shortly after Wallace’s visit in 1873, where it was initially positioned in front of ‘Marquis House’, which later became Castle House.

The free-standing fountain comprises a tiered, cast-iron centrepiece decorated with foliage, along with two further foliate bowls. The lower bowl features figures of birds, and a spout rises from the top bowl. The fountain sits atop a square-plan base, possibly a replacement, set within a shallow, circular pool. The pool is lined with mosaic tiles and features a moulded granite sloped surround.

The fountain's presence is documented on revisions to the 1859-61 town plan of Lisburn, dating from 1875-6. It represents a late nineteenth-century taste for depicting flora and fauna in garden ornaments and forms a focal point at the northwest end of the park, providing both visual and aural enjoyment.