Work under way to restore boat pond and fountain

Work is under way to restore a boating pond and fountain which have been dry for five years.

The planning application to revamp the Grade-II listed Boating Pond and Sea Piece Fountain in Port Sunlight Village on Merseyside was submitted to Wirral Council last year.

Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT), the charity responsible for the 19th century industrial worker village, said the work included installing new pumping and filtration systems, repairing and cleaning stonework, and replacing damaged masonry. The 'crazy paving' will also be replaced to make the pond more accessible.

PSVT said the renovations were about "preserving a vital part of Port Sunlight's unique heritage".

The work also includes replacing the concrete basin of the pond, adding resin bound gravel around the pond, as well as "restoring the Sea Piece Fountain to its historically accurate appearance".

It means pedestrian access and a limited area of parking in front of Lady Lever Art Gallery is currently affected.

"The Boating Pond and Sea Piece Fountain hold a special place in the hearts of both local residents and visitors," said Andrew Bowden, chair of PSVT adding that it ensured "that this iconic feature continues to bring joy for many years to come".

The boating pond was originally built in the 1930s, with the fountain introduced in 1950.

It has been described as a focal point of the community in the decades since, but has since suffered "extensive deterioration".

"Port Sunlight Village Trust have taken the time to get as much information as possible on both the history and issues before making any decisions as to its future," said Jennifer Chambers from Chambers Conservation, who have worked with PSVT to develop the plans.

As a result, this scheme does not simply add further patch repairs, instead, the work proposed should hopefully last fifty years or more without major intervention."

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