Restored Purley water fountain officially opened by Mayor of Croydon
Purley Business Improvement District (BID) is proud to announce that the restored water fountain located at the Grade II listed Purley library, has been officially opened by the Mayor of Croydon on 8 April 2021.
To mark the official opening, a socially distanced event was attended by the Mayor with Purley BID representatives, who organised the restoration.
The Worshipful the Mayor of Croydon, Cllr Maddie Henson said: “I am delighted to be opening this restored fountain. It is going to be a gem in the heart of Purley. I want to offer my hugest congratulations to everyone involved, especially to Purley BID for all of their hard work in bringing this together.”
Catherine Garrad, engagement manager for Purley BID said: “It’s been a real privilege that The Worshipful, the Mayor of Croydon has joined us to mark the official opening. The Purley Water Fountain is part of Purley’s heritage and following its restoration it is here for the community to not only enjoy but provides an opportunity to get to know a little more about the town’s history. We have great hopes that this Purley landmark can live on for another century for future generations of our town to appreciate. We can’t wait for Purley town centre to be back open fully for all to enjoy.”
The marble water fountain was commissioned in 1904 to celebrate the reign of Queen Victoria. Originally situated at Purley Cross, as improvements to the town’s roadway took place the water fountain was relocated, not once, but twice. In 1983, the Purley Rotary Club relocated and restored the monument to its current site in the library gardens.
The water fountain has been a Purley landmark for well over 100 years. Now in full working order, the water fountain restoration project was completed by Purley BID.
Marlon Johnson, Chair of Purley BID and owner of Purley business, Bagels & Waffles, said: “This project is a triumph for Purley BID and enhances the town, whilst remembering previous generations and ensuring that future generations can enjoy and reflect on this Purley landmark.”
The Purley BID team commenced initial discussions to restore the fountain with the London Borough of Croydon in Summer 2019. Careful consideration had to be given due to the Grade II listed status of the library building.
Purley BID appointed contractors Clearwater Ponds & Landscaping to undertake the full restoration alongside Delta Power, which handled the electrical supply. It was a challenging project but worth the perseverance as it is important to celebrate and commemorate Purley’s landmarks.
