Скачать или смотреть FOUNTAIN - Victorian Ornamental Fountains in Central Scotland

A look at a few of the stunning water fountains left to us by the Victorians, along with one or two that we've lost over the years.

Before describing what we have here, I'd just like to correct something I said in the video voiceover: what I mistakenly thought was a smaller drinking fountain by the larger fountain in Glasgow's Cathedral Square, is in fact actually part of the larger fountain, and not a separate item.

Scotland's ornamental cast iron manufacturers - most of whom had their foundries in Glasgow - produced stunning works of art that gushed with water and made the lives of those who set eyes upon them far more agreeable than they would have been in the absence of such magnificent structures. From small humble drinking fountains to huge memorial monuments, these structures were symbolic of a nineteenth century society that reached its pinnacle during the height of the Industrial Revolution.

Companies like Walter MacFarlane in the Saracen Foundry or George Smith in the Sun Foundry produced fountains, many of which have survived today. But other firms were involved, and fountains were not just made from cast iron; some were constructed from granite or Doultonware, or even carved from stone.

In this video we look at fountains in Glasgow's Dowanhill Park, Alexandra Park, Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow Green; the Fountain Gardens in Paisley, Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh; in Govan and in Glasgow's Charing Cross. We also examine lost examples in the likes of Kilmarnock's Kay Park and Glasgow's vanished Phoenix Park.

This is a celebration of the fountain, and dedicated to the skills of the craftsmen, the iron founders, stone masons and potters, who created these absolutely beautiful structures.