Restoration of Whittington Stone

All of London’s Mayors turned out on a glorious Sunday morning to unveil the restored Whittington Stone in Highgate.

This much-loved monument to the iconic Londoner Dick Whittington has been restored thanks to a project by Heritage of London Trust and Islington Council, generously supported by the Englefield Charitable Trust.

The stone was in poor repair, illegible and the railings were corroding. The restoration, carried out by SSH Conservation, included careful stone repairs, recutting and repainting of the lettering along with refurbishment of the railings. To add inspiration, an interpretation panel on the adjacent wall will be fitted soon. 

A whopping 360 young people have been involved in the project through our Proud Places programme, engaging in creative workshops and learning about conservation. 

The young people have taken inspiration from Dick Wittington’s story of perseverance:

“Dick Whittington inspired me by not giving up on the first go but kept on going until he succeeded!" said Amen, age 11, St John's Upper Holloway C of E School.

"I think it's important for young people to know the story of Dick Whittington because it's a really inspiring story for all of us and basically it's to never give up and you should always try!." said Betty Rose, age 11, St John's Upper Holloway C of E School.

"It felt amazing to be at the Whittington Stone and have a go at the painting. I love cats so much and when I saw the statue it was so good! It looked so cute. My favourite part was seeing the cat and I didn't know it could bring good luck! Dick Whittington has a great story." said Isla, age 11, St John's Upper Holloway C of E School.

Annaliese, age 9, from St Joseph's Catholic Primary School spoke to the crowd about the story of Dick Whittington.

The spectacular walk happens every spring, organised by the Lord Mayor’s Association, celebrating one of the most loved characters from London’s past.

 Why don't you take a wander and check it out? ✨🐈‍⬛

Photo credit: Em Fitzgerald Photography Islington Council

Chair of Trustees

Following the expiry of his three year term as Chair of Heritage of London Trust (HOLT), Sir Laurie Magnus CBE has announced his decision to step down from the role in March 2026.

Since joining the Board in 2023, Sir Laurie has brought immense levels of expertise, developed a robust governance framework and overseen an expansion of the charity which, under his leadership, has grown its portfolio of heritage projects, opened a new community and skills hub in the City of London and acquired David Bowie’s childhood home, with a view to restoring it and opening it as a visitor attraction and youth engagement centre. He has been an invaluable source of knowledge, guiding the charity with dedication and care.

We are delighted to announce John Phillips, trustee of HOLT, will become Chair from March 2026.

Sir Laurie said:

“I want to thank everybody involved with HOLT - trustees, volunteers, donors and above all Nicola and the staff - for their passion and dedication and for making my time as chair so inspiring, enjoyable and rewarding. HOLT has exciting times ahead – playing a defining role in the restoration of London’s precious heritage, preparing the recently acquired Bowie House for public viewing as soon as possible and continuing to deliver the brilliant Proud Places programme to nurture our nation’s next generation of heritage custodians. I am delighted that John Phillips is to be my successor and have no doubt that HOLT is set fair to achieve great things in future. I remain a committed Patron and much look forward to contributing to HOLT’s continuing success.”

Dr Nicola Stacey, Director of HOLT, said:

“I and everyone at HOLT thank Laurie for his guidance and support through the last three years and wish him well with his many other commitments. Laurie has been a fantastic steward of the charity over the last three years and leaves HOLT and the Board well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead. We are thrilled that John Phillips, who has been instrumental in developing our ground-breaking Proud Places programme over the last five years, is taking the helm.”

Appointed incoming Chair, John Phillips, trustee of HOLT, said:

“On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Sir Laurie for his outstanding contribution since 2023. He has played a pivotal role in its strategic development and he is a master of Board oversight. The charity is now well positioned to build on its increasing expertise in

public engagement, transforming the way communities view and value heritage. I am delighted to be appointed as Chair and looking forward to being involved in its continued success.”

Restoration of Hanbury fountain

We were thrilled to unveil the restored Hanbury Drinking Fountain in Wimbledon yesterday.

Over 100 local people joined us to celebrate the restoration and relocation of the fountain including the Mayor of Merton, Cllr Martin Whelton, and pupils from Ursuline High School and Wimbledon College.

The ornate Victorian fountain is a striking example of the 19th century fascination with classical architecture. Modelled on the 4th century BC Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens, it reflects a period when classical Greek design shaped Britain’s public monuments and civic spaces.

It has been moved to the bustling Wimbledon High Street from its former Wimbledon Common site in order to serve a higher number of passers-by with free, fresh drinking water.

As well as being brought back to working order, the restoration project included new piping as well as work to the heavily corroded cast iron fountain pillars and gilded lettering.

This is the19th historic drinking fountain restored by HOLT. In 2023 Heritage of London Trust restored the Toynbee Fountain in Wimbledon.

108 local young people were involved during the project as part of the Proud Places programme, including from Malden Oaks alternative provision school.

Local residents and school children were delighted with the project.

Steve Graham, Managing Director, Imago Interiors said:

“The relocation is fantastic, it’s in an active area and as a landmark is iconic, it will be forever. To see the interaction from the schools that have been involved; it's great to see them talk with confidence and you can see people that maybe might not be used to speaking in public master that. Excellent attendance for the event too!”

Robert Moses, local resident, said:

“I think the relocation is fabulous, it puts the whole thing front and centre, because where it was in the past it was largely out of sight, out of mind. The work that has been done here is brilliant, the idea for it to have fresh running water. Now we have the Toynbee Fountain at one end giving fresh drinking water and this at this end. I think it’s brilliant, I’m really delighted.”

Ben, age 16, from Wimbledon College said:

"This drinking fountain represents the ability to bring more to locals. It's a necessity for all of us, even though some of us here may not be from an English heritage, we all need water to survive. With projects like this we can come together as a community and a culture to do something good for everyone.”

Emily, 15, Malden Oaks Lower School Richmond (AP) said:

"I think it's a good idea to move the fountain to Wimbledon village because it's then in a more social and beautiful area. People will be able to see the horses walking through as well as the fountain."

Thanks to the support of the Jones Day Foundation and to Merton Council and the Wimbledon Society for working with us on this project.

Read more about the project in the press here.