The Jubilee Drinking Fountain

During the 1890s, visitors travelled to Bognor Regis from London and across the South of England to enjoy the seaside. One local shopkeeper, James Hughes, a chemist in West Street, became concerned that the many children visiting the town had nowhere to obtain even a simple drink of water.

From his shop in West Street, Hughes looked along The Steyne towards the seafront promenade, which he believed would be the ideal location for a public drinking fountain. As with many new ideas, however, his proposal attracted little support. In 1897, many members of the council were more focused on organising celebrations for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee than considering his suggestion.

Determined to see the project succeed, James Hughes launched a public fund to raise the money needed, while Bodie of Aberdeen was chosen to design the fountain. Built at a cost of £111, it was officially unveiled on 6 July 1898 and became a lasting memorial to Queen Victoria's jubilee celebrations.

Originally positioned on the promenade facing The Steyne, the fountain was relocated in 1928 to the corner of Waterloo Square. In 1956, the site was chosen for new entertainment and leisure facilities, so the fountain was dismantled and moved to Hotham Park, where it remained stored in pieces for the next ten years.

The Natural Science Society later traced its whereabouts and campaigned for the fountain to be re-erected, but little progress was made. In 1968, local builder Mr R. J. Seymour discovered a photograph of the original unveiling ceremony in his collection of historic Bognor images and renewed the call for its restoration.

The public were invited to contribute, and a fund of "sixpences and shillings" was launched. Several sites were considered, including in front of Hotham Park House and within Marine Park Gardens. A final location was eventually chosen, and in January 1969 the fountain was reassembled at its present position at the promenade end of The Steyne. Although no longer in use, the Drinking Fountain remains an enduring reminder of Bognor Regis's Victorian heritage.