LONDON, ENGLAND.- English Heritage has won a prestigious national award for the restoration of the stunning Perseus and Andromeda fountain at Witley Court in Worcestershire. The fountain is the joint winner of the third Marsh Fountain Society Award for the best restoration of a fountain, cascade or water feature in the last five years.

The organisation has achieved a double success as it has also been highly commended at the prestigious ceremony for the restoration of the stunning 17th century Venus fountain in the grounds of Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire.

The £1,250 prize was presented to Ian Hurst, head of project management at English Heritage, on Monday 15th November at the Annual General Meeting of the Fountain Society at the Naval Club, London.

Mark Badger, Head of Visitor Operations for Witley Court, said: "We are delighted that Witley Court has won this award. It is a wonderful tribute to all the people who have been involved with the project - the promoters, the enthusiasts, the craftsmen, the engineers and the project managers. We're also extremely grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for providing the money we needed, and to the visitors, who have flocked to see the fountain since the restoration was completed."

In addition, Witley Court was recently commended for the restoration of the Perseus and Andromeda fountain at the Natural Stone Awards.

The Perseus and Andromeda fountain was fired for the first time in nearly 70 years in April 2003, following a £700,000 restoration involving a major Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The fountain, which was described as making the 'noise of an on-coming steam train' when first fired in the mid 1860s, cost the equivalent of more than £1 million when it was created.

It is the triumphant centrepiece of elegant gardens designed by the great 19th century garden designer W.A. Nesfield, who described them as his "monster work". It has 29 separate jets hidden amongst giant shells, sea nymphs, dolphins and a monstrous serpent. The main jet reaches up to 80 feet.

The 11-month restoration project to return the fountain to its former glory included:
* re-carving the magnificent wings of Perseus' rearing horse, Pegasus, which were damaged in the 1960's in a catastrophic direct lightning strike;
* restarting a cascade of 29 jets around a central plume of water, which can reach up to 80 feet high, sending a rainbow of water droplets over the pool;
* replacing a gleaming bronze-like spear and chains in non-conducting glass fibre resin; and
* returning missing pieces of stonework, including Perseus' arms and legs and two sea nymphs on dolphins.

Bolsover Castle ’s project took around nine months to complete and ended in 1999. It involved taking the statue apart for its complete renovation, recreating the 20 statues which were stolen from the fountain 200 years ago, and replacing the ancient and perished lead pipes inside the fountain and underground in the garden with new equipment, enabling the fountain to work again for the first time in almost a century.

In order for the sculptor to accurately recreate the 20 statues, English Heritage studied period documents and fragments of the original fountain to get the most accurate picture of what was once there.

Andrea Buckingham, English Heritage Visitor Operations Manager of Bolsover Castle, is delighted with the commendation. She said: “All the staff here at the castle are pleased that our very own “Derbyshire” Venus has got the praise she deserves.

“The sculptor did a fabulous job of recreating the statues of Roman emperors, heraldic beasts and little boys which surround Venus herself. They do have to be viewed to be appreciated as the fountain is considered to be the rudest in England!”

Jill Channer, Director of the Prince of Wales’s Phoenix Trust and restoration expert on the judging panel, said: “The spectacular restorations of these dramatically different fountains have transformed the sound and sensation of the space they occupy, enhanced the public’s enjoyment of the place they were designed for, and set a new standard in the re-creation of historic water features.”

The awards ceremony was held at the Annual General Meeting of the Fountain Society at the Naval Club, London at 7.45 pm on Monday 15th November. The Fountain Society exists to champion the cause of fountains, cascades and water features of aesthetic merit for public and domestic enjoyment. It works to promote the provision of new fountains, and to secure the restoration of those that have fallen into decay.