It’s been hidden for some time while restoration work was underway, but the Buxton Memorial Fountain can once again be seen in all its glory.
Located in Victoria Tower Gardens (right next to the Houses of Parliament), the monument celebrates the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, and the role played by British parliamentarians in the abolition campaign.
Commissioned by Charles Buxton MP, the monument is dedicated to his father Thomas Fowell Buxton along with William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Henry Brougham and Stephen Lushington, all of whom were involved in the abolition.
Sitting on an octagonal base, the Victorian Gothic monument features open arches on its eight sides, supported on clustered shafts of polished Devonshire marble.
A large central shaft contains four hefty basins, although the fountain hasn’t worked for years.
Topped by a stunning , multi-coloured, enamelled roof with intricate metalwork, there’s plenty of detail to admire.
Completed in Feb 1866, the monument used to stand in Parliament Square before being moved out in 1949 and not reappearing in its current location until 1957.
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