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.