In 1878, Israel Hart, a former Lord Mayor of Leicester, makes the offer of “a handsome ornamental fountain to be placed in the centre of the land fronting the Town Hall Buildings”.

The council accept his offer and in September 1879 the finished fountain is unveiled by Israel Hart himself. Designed by Francis Hames, the architect of the Town Hall, the fountain is made of bronze-painted cast iron, Shap granite and Ross of Mull granite.

English Heritage have declared the fountain a Grade 2 listed monument and their listing describes it thus:

“Cast iron on stone base. Four large winged lions surrounding Ionic columned
central pedestal, surmounted by shallow bowl with foliage decoration,
out of which rises pilastered pedestal surmounted by smaller bowl with
central fountain finial.”

all our wishes
and hopes for the future
coins in a fountain

Paul Conneally
Leicester 2013