On the 15th November 2022

our Crowd Funding target of £22,258.39 was reached

with spacehive fees of £567.61 that have already been taken off.

There were over 100 Backers!

I am humbled by our Amazing Barnet Residents and our Community

in supporting my project to have our Historic Fountain renovated.

A big THANK YOU!

Once the work begins, I will add new photos and

updates. Installed across London, many

historic fountains were switched off in the

1960s & 70s. Today only a handful of these

beautiful public amenities still work. Restoring them

brings back vitality to a public space,

offers an environmentally friendly public

resource, educates and inspires children and creates

a sense of local pride. The Mayor of London wants to

reduce the number of single-use plastic water bottles

used and provide free access to healthy tap water.

The average London adult buys more than three

plastic water bottles every week, a startling

175 bottles per person. In total, some 7.7billion

plastic bottles are bought across the UK

each year. We all should adopt small changes

that can have a big environmental impact,

like refilling reusable bottles with tap water,

instead of needlessly buying new single-use ones.

Heritage of London Trust has made a Grant of £15,000

towards the renovation and Affinity Water

have offered to connect the Fountain for free,

a saving of between £5,000 to £7,000.

The Fountain as of today

Dr Nicola Stacey from Heritage of London Trust and myself discussing the renovations in the summer 2022

The Fountain in olden times

Hadley Green Drinking Fountain is constructed from

Aberdeenshire Red Petershead Granite,

it is set on a pink granite octagonal plinth,

this is a decorative drinking fountain

with four bell shaped bowls and a bowl

at the base for domestic animals.

The inscription says '1885' and the top

is in a decorative bell shape. It is Locally Listed.

The fountain was paid for and unveiled on

8th of August 1885 by Miss Ann Paget.

Miss Ann Paget and Lucy Paget were the daughters

 of MP Charles Paget (originally from Ruddington in Nottingham),

he and his second wife drowned by a freak wave in Filey in 1873!

The Sisters then moved to “Camlot” in Hadley Woods

and became eager supporters of children,

the Church and the health of people.

“Camlot” in Hadley Woods taken from Kelly's Street Directory 1886-1887

A Newspaper article published on the 15th of August 1885 reads:

I have found 3 drinking fountains that she commissioned, 2 in Hadley in Barnet,

The Hadley Wood one is now gone and the Pink Marble Hadley Green one.

The Hadley Wood Fountain

Also, one in London in association with the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association.

St Botolf, Billingsgate EC1

Metropolitan Public Gardens Association

Concerning her support of Children, she purchased “High Stone School” in Barnet in 1884

High Stone School and Headmasters Cottage  - The Old School House Hadley Highstone

and was Governor and Sponsor of Queen Elizabeth Boys school with her sister for many years.

Queen Elizabeth Boys School

She contributed a third to the building of Hyde Hall next to St John the Baptist Church in

Barnet in 1903 which in turn became the start of QE Girls School.

 Hyde Hall next to St John the Baptist Church

In 1905 she also contributed to the building of St James Church meeting hall

now the “Subud Centre” in East Barnet.

St James Church meeting hall and foundation stone

Ann passed away in 1916 and Lucy in 1924.

 £50,000 in 1916 would be around £20,000,000 today!

They were both buried back in Ruddington Notts, at St Peters Church

and have a stained glass window dedicated to them.

St Peters Church Windows Ruddington

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A condition report was done by London Stone Conservation

on 28/05/2022. A completely new connection to

the water mains will be installed which is now

in the pipeline with the generosity of Affinity Water

to include a water meter which will be

paid for by Barnet Council Parks and Open Spaces Dept.

Barnet Council Parks Dept. will also landscape

the area once the work is carried out

adding a pathway around the fountain and a

pathway from the pavement.

A Bicycle stand will be added as well.

 They will take over the running of the Fountain and the

water bills, PH testing and ongoing maintenance. 

A Bronze Plaque will be added to commemorate

its renovation and Miss Ann Paget.

Affinity Water £5,000 to £7,000+ offered work for free

Chipping Barnet Town Team

Barnet Museum

Barnet Council

Hadley Wood Association

Theresa Villiers MP

All Barnet Ward Councilors

Affinity Water

The Barnet Society

Love Barnet

High Living

have all offered their support!

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Barnet and Hadley residents, walkers, dog walkers, bike

riders and children will all benefit from this fountain

working again, removing single use water bottles

 is a must now for the environment.

Hadley Green has begun to have jazz festivals