Venus Fountain Protected

Posted 12th April 2009

The Venus Fountain in Sloane Square has been listed at Grade II, Culture Minister David Lammy has announced.

The fountain was installed in 1953, to the designs of highly regarded twentieth century sculptor Gilbert Ledward, and funded by the Royal Academy Leighton Fund.

It consists of a kneeling figure of Venus, in bronze, holding a vase and pouring water from a conch shell, surmounting a large bronze vase-shaped basin, which sits on a narrow three step stone base within an octagonal stone pool lined with blue ceramic tiles. The basin is decorated with a relief depicting Charles II and Nell Gwynn seated by the Thames. Charles II picks fruit from a tree, whilst Nell Gwynn fans herself. A cupid sits nearby with two arrows ready, a deer and a hound run in the background, and a swan swims on the Thames. The inscription around the top of the basin reads, “Sweet Thames run softly, till I end my song”, from ‘Prothalamion’ by Edmund Spenser (1552 – 1599).

David Lammy said:

“The Venus Fountain is a beautifully executed sculptural piece by an important twentieth century sculptor. It has strong connections to Chelsea, through both the artist and the subject matter.”

The decision to list the structure was taken on the advice of English Heritage and CABE and was supported by the result of a public consultation. When assessing a building for listing, the only factor that our statutory advisers and the Secretary of State can take into account is whether it possesses special architectural or historic interest. The structure’s state of repair (unless it has harmed the architectural or historic interest), or any planning proposals are not relevant to the assessment of a building’s qualification for listing.

Notes to Editors

1. The main purpose of listing a building is to ensure that care will be taken over decisions affecting its future, that any alterations respect the particular character and interest of the building, and that the case for its preservation is taken fully into account in considering the merits of any redevelopment proposals.

2. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (then known as the Department of National Heritage) announced in March 1995 that there would be public consultation on recommendations for listing arising from English Heritage's thematic studies of post-war and other building types. In August 1995 the Department announced that the consultation procedure would be extended to proposals to spot-list individual post-war buildings. However, the Secretary of State may take action to list a building at any time on the basis of information before her if she considers it to be under threat of alteration or demolition.

3. The following are the main criteria, as set out in Planning Policy Guidance 15 (PPG15), which the Secretary of State applies as appropriate in deciding which buildings to include in the statutory lists:

• architectural interest: the lists are meant to include all buildings which are of importance to the nation for the interest of their architectural design, decoration and craftsmanship; also important examples of particular building types and techniques (eg. Buildings displaying technological innovation or virtuosity) and significant plan forms;

• historic interest: this includes buildings which illustrate important aspects of the nation’s social, economic, cultural or military history; close historical associations with nationally important people or events; group value, especially where buildings comprise an important architectural or historic unity or a fine example of planning Not all these criteria will be relevant to every case, but a particular building may qualify for listing under more than one of them.

4. Further details of English Heritage's recommendations can be obtained from Historic Environment Designation Branch, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5DH.