The Drinking Fountain on Victoria Road
The longest-reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria celebrated Golden and Diamond Jubilees marking 50 and 60 years of her reign. Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee was celebrated on 20th and 21st June 1887.
The drinking fountain on Victoria Road in Walton-le-Dale was, as stated on the plaque:
ERECTED BY THE INHABITANTS OF WALTON VILLAGE, TO COMMEMORATE
QUEEN VICTORIA’S JUBILEE, JUNE 21ST 1887.
The Drinking Fountain was restored for the people of Walton-le-Dale as part of the flood alleviation works carried out by the Environment Agency 2002. However, it hasn’t been a useable drinking fountain for a number of years.
The more interesting thing about the drinking fountain though, perhaps, is that it hasn’t always been in its current location. It has been moved from its original location, and that was to probably to make way for Kay’s Garage. It can be seen with the identification on this 1910 Ordnance Survey Map as , “D. Fn.”, which was their shorthand for “Drinking Fountain”.
By the time that the next detailed map of the area had been created, it had been moved to its current location. The Garage that was once operated by “Kay’s” was now in that position at the junction of Blackburn Old Road, Chorley Road and Victoria Road.
The Conservative Club in Walton-le-Dale can be seen on this early 20th century photograph, which was originally taken from the Preston Digital Archive (Reference 9838285083). This is probably the first indication I had been given that the drinking fountain had been moved. I have highlighted it with a transparent green overlay.
The detail below shows the now redundant tap and basin.
