Hendon Park drinking fountain

This fountain dates from and is on east side of Hendon Park, just north of the footpath leading to Park View Gardens. Constructed from granite, stone and marble, it has an inscription around the basin which reads: "THIS FOUNTAIN WAS PRESENTED TO THE INHABITANTS OF HENDON BY GEORGE SNEATH ESQ. J.P. 1905."

George Sneath (c. 1842 - 1922) was an accountant at Price, Waterhouse and Coopers, who rose from clerk to managing director of the business. He was a generous benefactor to Hendon over fifty years. From 1905 he was a local magistrate, becoming one of the longest-serving magistrates in Hendon. He was local church warden, presenting a stained glass window in memory of his son, Lieutenant Claude Davis Sneath, who was killed in the early days of the First World War. He also supported his old parish church in Lincolnshire. He was a major benefactor of Hendon Cottage Hospital, on its Board of Management and chairman of its Finance Committee. He supported the local cricket club and Scouts.

Sneath paid for the erection of the fountain in 1905 and his daughter, Miss Stella Sneath, turned on the water at its opening ceremony.
The fountain is of ‘147 design’ in red granite and marble, originally with four separate sunk basins and bronze spouts.

The fountain will be cleaned and joints opened up to remove cement mortar. Damaged granite elements will be repaired using resin fills, stainless steel or carbon fibre dowels, and matching stone or granite indents for larger losses. Lettering will be re cut where needed to restore clarity, and all failed joints will be repointed using lime mortar. All obsolete plumbing will be removed, and new clean-water feed pipes will be installed up to one metre from the fountain base. Original metalwork will be retained where possible, with new taps integrated into existing fittings. The missing top section will be reconstructed based on surviving examples of Type 147 drinking fountains, using three grey/blue granite columns with pink granite base sections and a carved limestone capital uniting the columns. All details will replicate original profiles.