Description
Catlow Fountain, Whitehall Park, Darwen
The Catlow Fountain stands in Whitehall Park, Darwen, a long, green strip of park climbing from the town towards the open moorland. The Historic England park register dates it to around 1901 and records that it was erected in commemoration of the Coronation by Messrs John Catlow & Sons.
Cast in iron, the fountain is a delicate, lace-like canopy of openwork filigree topped with a cupola, carried on slim columns above a stone bowl and a small statue. It sits on octagonal stone steps and is now a Grade II listed structure. Originally, four cups hung from chains so that passers-by could drink from the fountain. They are no longer there.
My watercolour catches it in the soft light of early spring. The bare branches are still open to the sky, and pink blossom and white may are just starting to brighten the shrubs behind.
What you’ll love
- The fine, filigree detail of the canopy, painted in soft greys, creams and pale greens
- The spring colour: pink and white blossom against a misty, wooded backdrop
- A quiet, nostalgic scene that will be familiar to anyone who has taken the walk up through Whitehall Park
- A lovely gift for anyone with a connection to Darwen
