Kentish Express Ashford & District
Fountain celebrates a century in park
THE KENTISH EXPRESS MEMORIES PAGE with Steve Salter
IT is one of Ashford’s bestknown landmarks ... and this month it celebrates a major milestone anniversary. The Hubert Fountain has taken pride of place in the town’s Victoria Park for 100 years but has a history which dates back well into the 1800s. The fountain made its first appearance at the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London, in 1851. In 1862 it was installed in the Royal Horticultural Society’s gardens in Kensington, London. Eventually it was sold for £3,000 to John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge Earl-Drax. He was known as the Mad Major of Wye and erected the fountain in the grounds of Olantigh Towers, his home in Wye. By 1912 he had tired of his garden ornament and sold it to George Harper, a previous chairman of Ashford Urban Council, who donated it to the town. But the council refused to accept it because of the moving costs. After much haggling Mr Harper paid to have his gift moved to the park on condition that on his birthday each year – July 23 – the fountain was turned on to display it in its full glory. On the day following his 71st birthday in 1912 it was formally presented to the town but sadly he committed suicide a month later. It worked until the outbreak of war in 1939, when stags that adorned it were removed as wartime salvage. After falling into decline, the feature has twice been restored by Ashford Borough Council, initially in 1977 to mark the Queen’s silver jubilee, and then again in 1998 following the award of a £367,000 grant for a revamp from the National Lottery Fund. Mayor of Ashford Cllr Bob Davidson said: “The Hubert Fountain was a truly wonderful gift for Ashford and is remarkably elegant. “We will ensure it’s kept well maintained so that it can continue to be enjoyed by the community for many years to come.”