A Memorial Fountain on a Green Space in Great Baddow, Chelmsford.
Posted by: greysman
N 51° 42.923 E 000° 30.094
31U E 327408 N 5732337
A dual-purpose fountain placed here as a memorial to the reign of Queen Victoria.
Waymark Code: WMHEHB
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/30/2013
Views: 5
This memorial fountain is at the junction of High Street/Church Street with Vicarage Lane opposite the church of St.Mary, in the centre of Great Baddow. It is here that the village sign has also been erected.
Placed here in 1887 by the 'inhabitants of the parish' it commemorates 50 years of Queen Victoria's reign. The fountain is made of pink marble and consists of a central three-stage column with two basins, a large, lower one for animals to drink from and an upper, smaller one for human supply. The top block has the inscription on it which reads:-
ERECTED
BY THE INHABITANTS
OF THIS PARISH
TO COMMEMORATE
THE 50TH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF
HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY
QUEEN VICTORIA
A.D.1887
The top block has its four vertical edges tapered to give an octagonal top platform. An old photograph, approximately 1900, of the area shows that there used to be a street lamp on top of the fountain. It consisted of a two block base and a small cast iron column with glass lamp on top.
Comparing the 'old' photo' and the photo' I took recently shows several differences. The two-storey half timbered building at the other side of High Street is now demolished, the building in the distance at right-angles to the road is also demolished, however the two-storey building to the left of the photo' is still there.
Thanks to Jon for permission to use the old photograph of the fountain, taken from The Great Baddow Blog, see: blog spot