Southwark Park caryatids

Work is underway on the Victorian caryatids in Southwark Park. The missing arms of one of the caryatids have been remodelled first in wax, built up over wooden frame supports. They are currently being re-carved in stone at a workshop off-site.

Our Proud Places team have been taking local young people to meet the stonemasons and get up close to the sculptures. The young people have been introduced to stonemasonry and taken part in clay sculpture and drawing workshops.

These caryatids were once on each side of the main entrance at Rotherhithe Town Hall, sculpted by the artist Henry Poole (1873-1928).

Rotherhithe Town Hall was severely damaged by bombing in the Blitz – it was hit by bombs on six different occasions and later had to be demolished. The bombing damaged the caryatids too. However, they were rescued and transferred to a new housing complex in Elephant and Castle, the Heygate Estate, in 1974. 

After the Heygate Estate was demolished in 2011 the caraytids were rescued again and installed in Southwark Park.

The project, supported by HOLT, Knight Frank and Southwark Council will be finished in early December.

We’d love to know your thoughts on the project, please fill out our survey here.

London Bridge Alcove

One of London Bridge’s four surviving 18^th century alcoves has been unveiled at Courtlands Estate in Richmond after restoration work.

When old London Bridge was rebuilt in1831, two of its pedestrian stone alcoves and balustrading were bought and relocated to Richmond by the Hon Heneage Legge, son of the 3rd Earl of Dartmouth, for his home, Stawell House. One was lost when Stawell House was demolished in 1938.

The alcove was in poor condition and restoration involved poulticing and repointing the open joints with lime mortar. Damaged stonework was repaired and an interpretation panel erected.

Local young people were involved with the project through the restoration, meeting the stonemasons at work, as part of our Proud Places programme, and local families turned out for the unveiling.

The project was completed with support from the Wates Family Enterprise Trust.

Surrey Street drinking fountain restored

Children from Krishna Avanti Primary School, Croydon enjoy the newly restored fountain.

Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, cuts the ribbon with two local school children.

Dr Nicola Stacey and Jason Perry address the crowd at the unveiling.

Maha from Krishna Avanti Primary School, Croydon gives a speech.

Catlin from Riddlesdown Collegiate spoke about Proud Places at the unveiling.

The Victorian drinking fountain on the corner of Surrey Street in Croydon has been restored with fresh drinking water for the public. A new push-button system has been inserted to allow water to flow from the lion’s mouth.

On 18 July, more than 90 people came to join Dr Nicola Stacey and the Mayor of Croydon Jason Perry, plus children and young people from local schools and local residents to unveil the restored drinking fountain.

The fountain was added to the High Street in 1896 to mark its widening and is a fine example of Victorian craftsmanship and civic design. It had not been working for many decades, despite the lively Surrey Street Market next door.

‘This fountain was a source of great local pride in 1896. And in 2025, I think we’ve really brought that pride back to this little corner of Croydon. I hope that you’re going to enjoy it, use it, and look after it. Today is our chance to celebrate it,’ said Dr Nicola Stacey, Heritage of London Trust’s Director.

Mayor Jason Perry said, ‘It’s fantastic to see this drinking fountain back in use; fantastic to know that it has running water, and that it still has that trough at the bottom, so dogs can drink from it as well.

‘We are a fantastic borough with huge amounts of heritage all around us. We have the 700-year-old market behind us in Surrey Street, another area that we’re rejuvenating over the coming months and years. And this fountain restoration is just first step towards restoring that pride in our borough and knowing that Croydon is a great place to live, work and play.’

During its restoration, more than 300 young people from local schools and youth groups visited the project to meet conservators and take part in creative workshops as part of HOLT’s Proud Places youth engagement programme.

At the unveiling, the students brought posters and clay models they’d made of the fountain and spoke about the project.

Esha from Park Hill School said, ‘In this vast city of London, everything has a story behind it, whether it’s graffiti artwork, art, music, a building, or even a fountain. Our magnificent city is not only rich in culture and significance, but also rich in diversity and spirit. And, at the end of the day, the Surrey Street drinking fountain is the perfect place to get a cool drink of water on a hot day!’

The unveiling was featured on the BBC London evening news, with interviews from some of the school children. Read more about the Surrey Street drinking fountain project here.