The conservation of a 19th Century landmark is underway with students hoping to return the Rebecca Fountain into a “gleaming beacon of joy.”
Nine City of Bath College students have started cleaning the historic marble drinking fountain so that residents and tourists can continue to enjoy it.
It’s a time-consuming task as it has taken the Architectural Stone Conservation students two days to gently scrub the fountain, which sits on the north side of Bath Abbey.
They used sponges, toothbrushes and nail brushes and a small amount of water to remove moss, algae and staining.
On Monday and Tuesday next week (February 4th and 5th) the students will move onto conserving the fountain, which was made by Rushton Walker and erected in 1861. They hope to repair the stonework, fill in cracks with lime mortar and re-point the steps.
Passers-by could be heard saying “she needs a good clean” and “it’s about time” as the students rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
Student Matthew Sutton, 28, said: “The fountain was in dire need of some TLC, there was moss and lichens all over it.
“We are working hard in the hope we can restore it into a gleaming beacon of joy for the whole of Bath to enjoy.”
Course leader Nigel Bryant said the students didn’t let the wet weather dampen their spirits as they worked underneath a gazebo.
He said: “We’ve made a good start and the work is going well. We’re conserving the fountain for the future, we’re improving the way it looks.
“Quite a few people have been stopping to ask the students what they are doing, we’ve been attracting quite a bit of attention.”
The students were approached by the Bath Preservation Trust and submitted a conservation survey to Bath & North East Somerset Council to highlight the work needed.
The 151-year-old Rebecca Fountain was presented by the Bath Temperance Association to then mayor T Jolly and the Corporation of Bath to provide drinking water for the public and promote the non-consumption of alcoholic beverages.
It is a life-sized ‘water goddess’ female figure wearing Eastern costume and pouring water from an urn into a bowl. Fountain inscriptions include “take the water of life freely” and “water is best”.
