Water in Albert Square

Now for a chunk of the time I have lived in Manchester the water fountain in Albert Square was elsewhere which is a pity because I like it.

It was built in 1897 and had been commissioned to mark the old Queen’s jubilee, and in one of those nice touches I like when it was restored to Albert Square a new inscription was added to commemorate the supply of Manchester’s drinking water from Thirlmere in the Lake District which even today is a remarkable engineering achievement.

Apparently the fountain was subject to some criticism and was moved in 1920 to Heaton Park, returning in 1986.

It was the work of John Cassidy and includes two inscriptions. The older two is around the basis and records that it was

"ERECTED IN THE 60TH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA, 1897"

While on the ground to the south side of the fountain are the words,

"THE/QUEEN VICTORIA JUBILEE/FOUNTAIN/COMPLETED JULY 1997/FUNDED BY/MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL/NORTH WEST WATER/EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND/THIS FOUNTAIN/WAS ORIGINALLY SITED/IN THIS LOCATION/TO COMMEMORATE/THE SUPPLY OF WATER FROM/THE THIRLMERE RESERVOIR"

Pictures; from the collection of Rita Bishop, courtesy of David Bishop and from the collection of Andrew Simpson