Dumfries schoolchildren are to go behind the scenes to see how the restoration work on the town’s historic fountain is shaping up.
Estimated to cost more than £460,000 over two phases with funding coming from a number of sources, restoration work on the deteriorating and non-working historic grade-B listed fountain on Dumfries High Street got under way in October.
The 140-year-old landmark – officially called The Sun Foundry Fountain – was moved in December so that excavation works to create a tank for a new water treatment and pumping system could begin, with Industrial Heritage Consulting Limited the lead consultant on the renovation and construction works.
The combined cascade and spray fountain, with more than 100 cast iron parts, headed south to be restored by experts, Wigan-based Lost Art Ltd, and will be brought back to be reassembled on site for this spring.
All of the work is highly-specialised and under the scrutiny of Historic Environment Scotland.
Now, schoolchildren will be among the first to see how it is shaping up as The Stove Network have organised a series of educational trips and workshops for local school pupils, funded by The People’s Project.
On Thursday pupils from St Michael’s Primary will be visiting Lost Art Ltd at their Wigan workshops for a behind-the-scenes look at the processes involved in the restoration as pupils and staff were instrumental in the campaign to restore the fountain.
They wrote letters to Dumfries and Galloway Council calling for its restoration, and have been studying the fountain and its heritage relating to cholera epidemics and subsequent introduction of freshwater to the town.
St Joseph’s College students will be visiting the workshop of master pattern-maker Ruth Davies of Pollock Davies, Paisley who is working on hand-gilding the fountain’s distinctive features including herons and dolphins.
The workshop is also creating commemorative plaques which will form a new feature in the paving surrounding the fountain.
The pupils will also visit the Grand Fountain in Paisley’s Fountain Gardens – an example of a Sun Foundry ornamental fountain which was restored by Lost Art and Industrial Heritage Consulting in 2014.
In addition, two creative educational workshops led by local artists Katie Anderson and Mark Zygadlo are planned for March with more school pupils will learn skills in press moulding and relief casting and how to engineer a hydraulic water pumping system.
The project’s creative engagement lead, Kirsten Scott, said: “This is a superb learning opportunity for the pupils to experience and understand the work involved in restoring this historic, 140-year-old fountain.
“This is a unique experience for these young people to witness a process that aims to preserve an important part of our town’s social history and to showcase the traditional crafts involved.”
