Fountains at Trafalgar Square

Sir Charles Barry, R.A., the architect of the British Houses of Parliament, created a pair of fountains, one of which is now located in Wascana Centre. From 1845 to 1939, these fountains operated in London's Trafalgar Square before being moved to make room for bigger fountains.

The National Art Collection Fund of Britain was alerted to these fountains and purchased them in order to gift them to a Dominion Capital. The gift was accepted by Canada, and one of the fountains is dedicated to Lieutenant Colonel John By, who founded Bytown before it was renamed Ottawa.

The fountain is composed of red granite from Aberdeen, Scotland, and stands 10 feet tall. It has two bowls, the bottom of which has a diameter of 10 feet and the upper of which has a diameter of 5 feet. It is located inside a 34-foot-diameter concrete swimming pool. Stone from Tyndale is used for both the exterior wall and the pool coping. The mermaid statues do not have the traditional single tail, but instead have long and powerful tails as an extension of each thigh. Sitting on the edge of its fountains is one of the best ways to observe the hustle and bustle of the metropolis.

Location: Trafalgar Square, in London, England