Civic pride

As Kingston-upon-Hull was rapidly expanding in the second half of the nineteenth century one expression of municipal pride was the erection of a number of public fountains including a number in the middle of wide streets which comprised a cascade with several levels suported by herons above and mermaids with conch shells bvelow. Located in a ‘circus’ at the junction of Boulevard, Cholmley Street and Gordon Street this Avenue style fountain was constructed c.1871 and was described in Sheperdson’s Guide to Hull in 1875 as: - ‘about midway [of Boulevard] there is a large circular space with a colossal fountain in the centre’. It was very similar but not exactly the same, as the fountains along Prince's Avenue.

All of the fountains were prone to traffic accidents it seems and the Boulevard fountain was no exception; on the 27th August 1924 the fountain was hit by a car and was removed soon after. As the regeneration and conservation of the Boulevard area has taken place in the past few years a campaign to have a new fountain in the Boulevard was successful and in 2008 a fine new - and working - fountain was erected. This was cast by Durham Foundry (Sheffield) Ltd, using ductile iron to allow welding of the various sections. I think it looks great.