Stanhope Memorial Fountain

This little eyecatcher is the Stanhope Memorial Fountain dedicated to J J Roddam, built in 1877, to commemorate his life and service to the people of Weardale. The fountain is discreetly positioned at the junction to the old road which crosses the ford at the west of the town.

Looking from all angles, there was a lot to take in on a bright and sunny day. The top of the fountain looked like a wedding cake, tiered and intricately decorated with symmetrical detail. Made from sandstone and dusty pink granite, the two textures and tones contrasted one another and formed a mixture of practicality with a nod to the prosperous past for Stanhope.

Joseph Roddam must have been held in high esteem. He was, originally from Newcastle, a wealthy land agent for coal and lead mine owners. Moving to Weardale in the 1830s, he was much respected by the people of Stanhope and the surrounding areas, having built Newtown House, he died in 1874 aged 48. He was known locally as a philanthropist and a figure in the community. As a surveyor, Roddam produced a series of maps of the area at 6 inches to the mile. This one from 1851 is known as The Roddam Map.

There was a panel on the east face on the fountain which commemorated the life of Roddam. An engraved inscription reads:

Erected by public subscription

In memory of the late

JJ Roddam

Newtown

1877

Imagine all the people where you live shelling out for a fancy fountain 'cause they thought you were the bee's knees?

There's something of the Gothic about the fountain. Look at the round corners of the steps welcoming their way up to the tower of the fountain. There's a mix of sandstone blocks and granite pillars with dramatic repeated squared foliage detail, which has eroded over the harsh Weardale winters. There are curves and columns, points and pinnacles, arches and niches, lines and lancets. A fancy pants fountain indeed, as many of the period were, with the need to attract the passer-by and test its aqua appeal.

In the mid 19th century, many people had turned to the evils of drinking. Water could carry cholera and conditions were less than sanitary. Despite an advance in technology, the benefits of industrialisation brought insanitation.

In 1860, Victorian magazine The Art Journal quoted:

“We live in the era of the locomotive, of the electric telegraph, and of the steam press...yet 'even now we are not advanced far beyond such experimental efforts as may eventually lead us to provide supplies of pure water... to meet the requirements of our dense populations."

Temperance campaigners argued that reliance on alcohol was at the root of social problems, including poverty, crime and destitution. Philanthropists across the country saw it as an important contribution to the local community to provide clean water to the people of villages, towns and cities to promote temperance and provide refreshment. It offered a safe route to sobriety. People loved these new fangled drinking fountains and flocked to try their virtues.

A lot of fountains were designed and marketed by Walter Macfarlane & Co. in the Saracen Foundry, Glasgow, but iron was prone to rust. Therefore, the mixture of stone and granite was a more permanent addition, set to last the test of time. Water fountains were seen as a safe and appealing resolve from the evils of alcohol. The Gothic style was associated with Christian benevolence and there are definite church like overtones in the architecture of many of the street fountains of the period.

I also loved the idea of a communal fountain, and it got me wondering why we no longer have these watering holes on our high streets. No hydration station on my walk to work. There's money to be made in that there waaaaata.

Look at the smooth, round granite bowl that would have caught the water from the tap. There was perhaps even a communal cup. Try that out for germs! There were often additional troughs for dogs, cattle and horses.

The Stanhope Memorial Fountain originally occupied a place more centrally in the town, positioned on the green, but was then relocated to the side of Newtown House at the turn of the century. It reflects the Victorian tradition of public memorials, serving as a tribute to J J Roddam, presented three years after his death by the folk of Stanhope, but was also a useful piece of street furniture, still admired today.