In Bloomsbury? Thirsty? Then head to this old water fountain, which is back in service.
Look, free, fresh, running water at the northern end of Lamb's Conduit Street! A 150-year-old fountain is back in use, and it's much more elegant than your typical water tap. It even has a lower dish for dogs.
Lamb's Conduit Street, which runs from Theobald's Road through Great Ormond Street, is well known for it fancy shops and restaurants, but did you ever ponder the name? It comes from a fresh-water conduit, which ran across the fields here from the 16th century, set up by a William Lambe.
The conduit was deleted by the Georgians, and little evidence remains save for the street name and a stone inscription on nearby Long Yard. But a free public supply returned in 1870 with the opening of this noble stone fountain on Guilford Place, at the northern end of the street just opposite Coram's Fields.
The fountain has been out of action for years. Now, the Heritage of London Trust has brought it back to life in a £17,000 project that included repairs to the stonework and replacement plumbing.
A mystery lingers over the dedication of the fountain. Some sources say it was set up in memory of "Mrs Francis Whiting" of Mecklenburgh Square, but it seems she was still alive when the fountain was installed, and it may instead have been dedicated to her husband. Either way, it's good to have it back in action.
The Heritage of London Trust is on a bit of a mission to restore London's historic drinking fountains. As Ian reports, they also reinstated another beaut over in Kensington recently.
All images Matt Brown.
