Armley Park fountain

Armley Park fountain in Leeds is a Victorian-era monument standing in a public park in the west of the city. It holds Grade II status on the National Heritage List for England and is sometimes called the Jubilee Fountain. The park itself is also known as Gott's Park.

What is the Armley Park fountain?

The fountain dates from 1897 and is built of ashlar and carved stone. It was paid for by William Henry Gott of Armley House, who wanted to mark the sixtieth year of Queen Victoria's reign, as a plaque on the structure records. It was added to the heritage list on 11 September 1996.

What will you see?

The fountain sits in an octagonal pool enclosed by a stone retaining wall. At the centre, an octagonal fountain rises on fluted pilasters and a reeded stem, topped by a bowl whose rim is decorated with lions' heads. It is a good example of jubilee-year park ornament.

Roughly 40 metres to the east and west of the fountain are two glazed terracotta plaques set into artificial stone mounds. Each is separately listed at Grade II. According to the listing text, they probably came from the Burmantofts works in Leeds and were installed around the time the park opened, about 1897.

What is the surrounding park like?

The park takes its name from the industrialist Benjamin Gott, whose former home, Gotts Park Mansion, stands nearby. The house was built in 1781, reworked in the 1810s and today serves as the clubhouse of a golf club. Leeds City Council lists a playground, a skate park, bowling greens, football pitches, tennis courts and wildflower meadow areas. The stone gate pillars at the entrance are also Grade II listed.

Is it free, and when should you go?

Armley Park is a council-run public park, so you can see the fountain on a walk through the grounds without a ticket. Choose a dry day, since the monument stands in open space with plenty of room to sit and linger. A volunteer group, the Friends of Armley and Gotts Park, helps look after the grounds and meets twice a month for gardening and conservation tasks.

Frequently asked questions

When was the fountain built? In 1897, funded by William Henry Gott to commemorate Queen Victoria's sixty years on the throne.

Is the fountain a protected monument? Yes. It has been Grade II listed since 1996, as have the two nearby terracotta plaques and the stone entrance pillars.

Do I need to pay to visit? No. The fountain is in a public park open to all visitors.

What else is there to do in the park? You can walk the grounds, use the playground, skate park, pitches and courts, and look at the wildflower meadows.