Fountain

Reardon drinking fountain - Avondale Park

Erection date: 22/7/1909

Inscription

{On the plinth:}
Metropolitan Drinking Fountain & Cattle Trough Association

{And possibly:}
Miss Ellen Reardon, in memory of her father, mother and sister, Daniel, Elisabeth and Margaret Reardon, 1880.

There are a number of Reardon fountains of this design and most seem to have the identical dedication inscription. A photo of a similar fountain at Strand on the Green shows the dedication inscription engraved in the granite of the plinth. We did not see this in Avondale Park but letters carved in granite can be very difficult to see, especially on a sunny day. We need to get back, crouch down in the middle of a flower bed and use our fingers to feel for the inscription (and just brazen out the strange looks).

But we've also read of these Readon fountains with an attached plaque carrying the inscription (with the same text as at Strand on the Green) so perhaps we need to look for screw holes rather than an inscription.

2021: We returned and can now confirm that, apart from the MDFCTA inscription, nothing is carved into the plinth, but there are 4 screw holes showing that a plaque was attached to the plinth at some point. Also, the top of the central circle of granite is damaged as if something has been removed.  Compare this fountain with that on the Strand and you can see what.

Site: Reardon drinking fountain - Avondale Park (1 memorial)

W11, Walmer Road, Avondale Park

A pdf from RBKC says: "Made in grey sparkling granite, it was installed in Avondale Park in 1909 and funded by the Reardon Memorial Trust, who were responsible for 109 drinking fountains. It was taken over by the then Royal Borough of Kensington in 1936."

The fountain is in the middle of the round flowerbed that you can just see in our photo. Despite the sun being in the in wrong place we wanted to capture the gate piers since they have some nice Art Deco features including roundels with 'KV', for Kensington Vestry.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Reardon drinking fountain - Avondale Park

Subjects commemorated i

Daniel, Elisabeth and Margaret Reardon

Father, mother and sister to Miss Ellen Reardon who, via a bequest, erected d...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Reardon drinking fountain - Avondale Park

Created by i

Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association

Started by Samuel Gurney MP and the barrister, Edward Thomas Wakefield. Found...

Read More

Miss Ellen Reardon

At the ever-informative MDFCTA we find: Ellen Reardon of 2 New Terrace, Islin...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Joseph Payne fountain - NW1

Joseph Payne fountain - NW1

NW1, Albert Terrace

In memory of Joseph Payne, Esq., deputy assistant judge, a zealous total abstainer and a faithful friend of Bands of Hope. Died March 29,...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Morley's fountain

Morley's fountain

E5, Clapton Square garden

Erected by Metropolitan Public Gardens Association, 83 Lancaster Gate, at the sole cost of Howard Morley Esq. former resident in the loca...

2 creators
Guy's South African war memorial

Guy's South African war memorial

SE1, Great Maze Pond, Guy's Hospital - the Colonnade

2022: Sebastian Bulmer told us about AngloBoerWar which has extensive photographs of this lovely memorial and some good information about...

War dead | Other war
13 subjects commemorated
Toynbee fountain

Toynbee fountain

SW19, Wimbledon Hill Street

The fountain has four basins which would have supplied water but the activating buttons and the spouts are all lost. However some back-p...

1 subject commemorated
Yeates sisters

Yeates sisters

N16, Clissold Park, Clissold House

When we found this touching memorial we wanted to know more: the names of the three babies who died; the home they had lived in and the r...

4 subjects commemorated, 1 creator