December 1 2023

An ornate terracotta fountain with a pronounced tilt is to be restored to its full glory as an upstanding component of Charing Cross.

Inaugurated in 1896 the Cameron Memorial Fountain honours newspaper editor and politician Sir Charles Cameron (1841-1925), editor of the North British Daily Mail and a prominent Liberal politician who helped lead the temperance movement and reform alcohol laws.

Best known for its sinking foundations, a process which predates the construction of the M8 underpass, the B-listed fountain was designed by architect Robert Bryden of Clarke and Bell and Mr Lightbody of Doulton & Co. Bearing twin medallions of Cameron from sculptor George Tinworth the statue originally kept more salubrious company at the entrance to the Grand Hotel, before a wave of raids engineering left it marooned in asphalt from 1969 on.

Fast forward to today and the condition of the fountain has further deteriorated, with the council forced to fence off the memorial because of falling tiles. To assess the full extent of the problem conservation architect Fiona Sinclair has been instructed to undertake a full survey of the fountain, with members of the public invited to pitch in with any photographs to assess the rate of decay.

Any relevant imagery should be emailed to ListedBuildings@glasgow.gov.uk and headed Cameron Memorial Fountain.

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