The restoration work to the Grade II Listed fountain at Princess Gardens is nearing completion.

In the next week MW Benney Building Contractors and Newton Forge will be transporting the fountain in stages back to Torquay for reinstallation on the new concrete base. Once in place, the landscaping works surrounding the fountain will commence.

Torbay’s Elected Mayor, Gordon Oliver said: “It’s great to see that the fountain at Princess Gardens is nearing completion. I am excited to see what the finished fountain will look like and I trust that our contractors, MW Benney and Newton Forge will have done an excellent job.

“The Grade II Listed fountain is a priceless feature of our seafront. It is one of my favourite landmarks and these essential repair works will ensure that it will be restored to its former glory, something I am sure all residents will be looking forward to.”

Having developed a tilt, the fountain was dismantled before a thorough assessment took place to determine what repair work each section required. Among the repairs were mending cracks of the fountain bowl, replacement plumbing and providing a new thumb for the cherub, replacement reins and flowers.

Each section was then painted, including a protective layer to restore the fountain with a vibrant colour. Larger sections were spray painted with more intricate detail requiring painting by hand.

The fountain will now be transported back to its Princess Gardens location, before being reinstalled piece by piece onto the new concrete base. Work on the fountain is expected to be completed next month. The further landscaping works will follow this.

This work is part of the ongoing regeneration of the Princess Gardens area that was approved last year by the council’s Development Management Committee. The fountain restoration follows the first part of the regeneration when the shelters and the old fountain base within the banjo were removed and new benches installed facing the fountain.

The repair and improvement of this significant feature has been funded from the income from the Wheel and Carousel together with planning obligation contributions.

Further details of the Princess Gardens Masterplan, its history and the longer term objectives for the Gardens is available online.

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