Major restoration works on the historic grade-B listed fountain on Dumfries High Street are under way.
The estimated cost is more than £460,000 over two phases with funding coming from a number of sources.
Almost 140 years since the landmark – officially called The Sun Foundry Fountain – was first unveiled to the public in December, 1882, safety hoardings are up around it.
It will be the spring before it will be fully operational again and brought back to its former glory to enhance the appearance of the town centre which is under revival though projects like the Midsteeple Quarter.
Councillor Katie Hagmann, chairwoman of the economy and resources committee, said: “The restoration of this historical landmark is very specialist work which must be undertaken by experts in line with best engineering practice.
“It’s not an easy job but it does provide us with an opportunity to preserve this well-known sight, not only for the current community, as requested, but for future generations.”
The restoration of the fountain is one of the first main projects of the Dynamically Different Dumfries community-led vision and action plan for the town centre.
Interpretation boards on the hoarding will tell the history of the fountain which was erected to commemorate the introduction of fresh water to Dumfries and Maxwelltown following the devastating cholera epidemics of 1832 and 1848.
The boards will also have letterbox slots at varying heights to enable the public to peek through and see work under way. They will also feature artwork produced by schools and the wider community during the community engagement process.
All of the work is highly specialised and will be under the scrutiny of Historic Environment Scotland.
The restoration project is being led by award-winning engineering consultancy Industrial Heritage Consulting Limited with the works being undertaken by Wigan-based Lost Art. The companies are amongst a handful of specialists in the UK with a successful track record in restoration of fountains of this type.
Once dismantled, the combined cascade and spray fountain, with more than 100 cast iron parts, will head south to be restored and then brought back to be reassembled on site.
Currently the fixings that hold the fountain together are corroded and need to be replaced to ensure the fountain’s future. It has also lost a number of its original features under layers and layers of paint. Also it has not been operational as it would not meet modern water safety standards.
A new water treatment and pumping system is needed. This will involve a new underground chamber being created to house the water filtration system, pump and lighting controls in a large-scale operation.
Digging down through possible medieval layers of ancient Dumfries will also require the expert guidance of archaeologists to ensure the recording and removal of any significant finds.
The first phase has cost £63,000 with funding from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Capital Fund of £53,000, and £10,000 from the Holywood Trust.
For the second phase for the work itself, £398,355 has been allocated from the council’s Economic Development Capital Fund.
