New life to flow in dilapidated Darwen fountain (From This Is Lancashire)

New life to flow in dilapidated Darwen fountain

7:00pm Thursday 14th February 2013 in News By Dan Clough, Reporter

The fountain in Bold Venture Park

A CENTURY-OLD fountain will be restored to its former glory after a £2,000 grant from Darwen Town Council’s parks committee.

The Robert Shorrock drinking fountain was installed in Bold Venture Park in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII.

But over the years it has deteriorated and is in need of a good clean and some maintenance.

Friends of Bold Venture Park chairman Harry Duxbury said work to restore the fountain would begin this month. He said: “It has deteriorated over the years. The stonework is chipped and the heads are missing from what used to be the fawcetts.

“It needs cleaning and pointing and just generally fixing up.

“We knew there was a grant available from Darwen Town Council and we are delighted we got it.

“We also secured £100 from Asda which will go towards the work, and we will probably put a bit towards the work from our own funds.”

Mr Duxbury said there would be a workman on site in the coming weeks who will clean up the fountain and advise the group on how best it can be repaired.

Robert Shorrock was a local councillor in Darwen and mayor of the town in 1902/03. He also came up with the idea of building a tower on the moors above Darwen.

He was a prominent builder in the town, responsible for Peel Mill and Cobden Mill.

A permanent memorial to him lies in Sunnyhurst Wood at the Shorrock Bridge. Darwen Town Council’s parks committee is responsible for a £25,000 pot of money available to friends groups in the town for deserving projects.

Already in the past year it has given £6,000 to remove silt from the paddling pool in Sunnyhurst Wood, £5,000 for cleaning drains and repairing paths in Bold Venture Park, and £4,800 to install new gates at Whitehall Park.