Henry Fearon and Loughborough’s Water Supply
31st August 2020 was the 150th anniversary of the unveiling of the Fearon Fountain, an iconic sandstone structure which stands in the centre of Loughborough Marketplace.
The fountain had been ordered and paid for by Archdeacon Henry Fearon, Rector of Loughborough, to commemorate the successful installation of a freshwater system in the town after many years of campaigning, and he was the first to draw a cup of water from it in a square packed with townsfolk that August Bank Holiday day.The building of the reservoir at Nanpantan which fed the fountain – and the homes of Loughborough – had a massive positive impact on the town, reducing sickness and local mortality rates and, as a by-product, diminishing the flooding the town had experienced for decades whenever it rained heavily.
That impact had been so important to the subsequent development of Loughborough that Charnwood Borough Council planned to commemorate the anniversary with a number of heritage events, centring on the Grade II listed fountain itself.
Sadly, the anniversary of the 1870 unveiling also coincided with the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK and at a time when legislation still limited outdoor meet-ups and no organised public events were taking place.
Saddened that this important piece of Loughborough’s history was going to pass unnoticed, we decided to share the story of Archdeacon Henry Fearon and his connection to the campaign to bring fresh water to Loughborough, posting a piece of the story over a number of consecutive days. You can follow that sequence of blogposts below.
Blog 1: What has Henry Fearon Ever Done for us?
Blog 2: Who was Henry Fearon?
Blog 3: Loughborough’s Health in 1848.
Blog 4: Reverend Fearon Speaks at Health Board Enquiry
Blog 5: Fearon and Bunch take on the local Board of Health
Blog 6: Loughborough’s Sewage System Sorted
Blog 7: How Henry Fearon brought clean water to Loughborough
Blog 8: To build – or not to build – Blackbrook Reservoir
Other blogs of interest:
Henry Fearon remembered on the anniversary of his death.