Ostler memorial secrets

One of our most interesting ancient monuments is the Ostler memorial fountain, a magnificent Victorian obelisk erected in the market place at Bourne almost 160 years ago as a gesture of thanks to a man who gave freely to many charitable causes in this town, notably in the field of education.

It was built by public subscription in 1860, the year after John Lely Ostler, landowner and benefactor, died at the early age of 48, and was designed by the architect Edward Browning who was also responsible for the chapel in the town cemetery.

The drinking fountain was built of Portland stone and consisted of a canopy supported on shafts of Aberdeen granite on a stepped base of Yorkshire stone with a jet of pure water continually falling into an ornamental basin.

A public unveiling ceremony was held in October 1860 and as the years passed, the town flourished around it, the population increasing and horse drawn transport giving way to the automobile until eventually the stone structure became a nuisance, a 19th century anachronism totally out of place with the cars and lorries, buses and vans, that sped by daily and occasionally clipping the stonework as they went.

A century after being built, the fountain had outlived its usefulness and the purpose for which it had been erected was largely forgotten. New safety precautions were being introduced in the town centre because of increasing traffic flows, including an experimental roundabout, improved vehicle lanes, widened pavements and a pedestrian crossing, all approved by the Ministry of Transport, the county council and the police. Unfortunately, the fountain did not feature in these plans other than a recommendation for its removal.

After three years of agonising, Bourne Urban District Council which then ran our affairs, met on Tuesday 11th April 1961 to decide its fate when the lone voice in its defence was expected to be Councillor Dr John Galletly, a dedicated conservationist, but by bad luck he was away at another meeting and in his absence, colleagues voted to support plans to have it removed and ignominiously replaced by a bollard.

But where was it to go? On this issue, there was total silence. Despite its historic association with the town, there was no immediate solution. Like all of our ancient buildings, they are good to look at and visit but when they become a liability, no one wants to know. The obvious place for the fountain to be relocated was either the Abbey Lawn or the Wellhead Gardens but Bourne United Charities which administers both, refused to give it a space or to have anything to do with its removal. “Not on your life”, said the trustees.

The council was therefore left with the task of finding a safe resting place and eventually, the town cemetery in South Road was suggested as a suitable location and in the spring of 1962, workmen moved in to dismantle the memorial stone by stone to provide space for the highways improvement scheme go ahead.

The work took two days when each stone was numbered and sketch plans prepared on site, so enabling the fountain to be put back up precisely in accordance with its original form and in the same orientation. The only section not removed from the market place was the stone base which was so embedded in the highway it could not be shifted without causing considerable damage but every other section was removed direct to the equipment store at the cemetery until a suitable spot within the grounds could be found. A central position alongside one of the cross footpaths was eventually chosen and in the autumn of 1962, the memorial was re-built stone by stone in its present location.

The task of dismantling and rebuilding the stone structure was carried out by two workmen from the council's direct labour organisation, Edward Stevenson, of Recreation Road, Bourne, and Oliver Gilbert, of George Street, Bourne, and it was their care and skill that ensured a successful operation.

But there was a surprise in store. While it was being moved, they discovered a small glass bottle hidden within the base. Unfortunately, it had been broken at the neck during the dismantling although the contents were undamaged and proved to be most interesting. They were taken to the council offices in North Street for examination and revealed to be a written note and three coins of the realm dated 1860, the time when the fountain was being erected. The signed note was brief, stating when and why the memorial had been put up.

Anxious to preserve this historical record, council officials decided to leave it in place and so a new bottle was found and the contents inserted and when the memorial was re-built, placed within the structure together with a second bottle. This was added at the instigation of Wilfred Howard, the council’s engineer and surveyor, and contained a similar note to that of 1860, explaining the reason why the memorial had been moved. The note was signed by Mr Howard, Brian Pashley, technical assistant, and Jean Orford, secretary, and each donated a coin of 1962 to replicate the act of a century before.

The two bottles with their explanatory notes and coins from the reigns of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II therefore remain within the base of the monument.

Since then, public regard for the Ostler memorial has changed. In July 2007, I alerted English Heritage that the monument was at risk and needed protection and as a result a Grade II listing was granted by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Bourne Town Council which had assumed responsibility when it was formed in 1974, subsequently agreed to spend £9,000 on restoration which was completed in March 2009.

Since then, it has been suggested that the fountain might be moved back to a prominent position within the town centre but that is now unlikely. In any case, the memorial now seems to have settled well into its new surroundings a short distance from John Lely Ostler’s grave where it remains an attractive feature to remind future generations of the philanthropist who did so much for this town.