Classical Cascade, Twickenham, Surrey
PROJECT NAME & LOCATION:
The Oceanides (known locally as ‘Naked Ladies’) fountain, York House, Twickenham, UK
PROJECT TYPE:
Historic Public Monument.
PARTNERS / ARCHITECTS / MAIN CONTRACTORS:
Stonewest Ltd,
Richmond & Wandsworth Council
THE RESULT:
The fountain is fully restored and functioning - regularly used as a beautiful backdrop for wedding photographs and film and television productions.
THE BRIEF:
Fountainhead was asked to restore the fountain to life after years of dormancy. Fountainhead to design, supply and install a new fountain water system including pumps, filters and pipework and return the fountain to its former glory with the help of stone restorer’s StoneWest Ltd.
The fountain design was originally created on the site in 1906 with a large plant-room under the rockscape structure. This structure and plant-room to be utilized.
As background history of the water feature; The statues were carved in Italy and then bought by Whitaker Wright for his estate of follies Witley Park in Surrey. They were never unpacked from their shipping crates until they were sold to industrialist and philanthropist Sir Ratanji Tata for his house in Twickenham.
For Sir Ratan Tata to create the water feature design the original intended arrangement of the ladies had to be guessed at as there was no fountain design to reference. In 1924 the grounds of York House became the property of Twickenham Council who opened them as a public park. Over subsequent years the fountain was often vandalized and was eventually almost abandoned and left to rot.
