Triton Fountain
| Browse information by: Location Makers General Information Classification Object Parts Object Condition History References Photographs |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright for Photograph: Creative Commons |
Location
| Street: | Marine Parade / Steyne Gardens |
| Town: | Worthing |
| Parish: | Worthing |
| Council: | Adur District Council |
| County: | West Sussex |
| Postcode: | BN11 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Garden |
| Access is: | Public |
| Location note: | At the seafront end of Steyne Gardens, in the middle of a sunken planted garden |
| In the AZ book: | West Sussex |
| Page: | 171 |
| Grid reference: | J3 |
| The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks. | |
| Previous location: | On an island on the boating pool at the back of the Aquarena swimming pool |
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Makers
| Name : | Benjamin Hancocks |
| Role: | Designer |
| Name : | William James Bloye |
| Role: | Designer |
| Company/Group : | Paine Manwaring Green Ltd |
| Role: | Restorer |
| Company/Group : | Landbuild Ltd |
| Role: | Builder |
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General Information
| Commissioned by: | May Elizabeth Hancocks |
| Construction period: | 1968 |
| Unveiling date: | 08/05/2007 |
| Work is: | Extant |
| Owner custodian: | Worthing Borough Council |
| Description: | Fountain depicting Triton holding a fish in each hand. The statue is seated on a galvanised steel base atop a rough hewn rock. Water trickles from the statue's elbows. The fountain is sited in the middle of a circular pebbled base that has a metal, green painted low fence around it. The whole is set in a sunken, metal fenced, heavily planted area with seating around the periphery. The statue faces south onto the Promenade. |
| Iconographical description: | Triton is a mythological Greek god, the messenger of the deep. He is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and Amphitrite, goddess of the sea. He is usually represented as a merman, having the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. Triton's special attribute was a twisted conch shell, on which he blew like a trumpet to calm or raise the waves. Its sound was so terrible, that when loudly blown, it put the giants to flight, who imagined it to be the roar of a mighty wild beast. According to Hesiod's Theogony, Triton dwelt with his parents in a golden palace in the depths of the sea. The story of the Argonauts places his home on the coast of Libya. When the Argo was driven ashore on the Lesser Syrtes, the crew carried the vessel to Lake Tritonis, whence Triton, the local deity, guided them across to the Mediterranean. Triton was the father of Pallas and foster parent to the goddess Athena. Pallas was killed by Athena during a fight between the two goddesses. Triton is also sometimes cited as the father of Scylla by Lamia. Triton might be multiplied into a host of Tritones, daimones of the sea. |
| Inscription: | STEYNE GARDENS The Gardens were presented to the town in 1900 by the Dowager Lady Maria Georgiana Loder. Widow of Sir Robert Loder DL.J.P. Baronet. The sunken garden was laid out as a scented garden for the blind by the three Rotary Clubs of Worthing to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Rotary International in 1980. The garden was refurbished in 2007 by Worthing Borough Council as part of its 'Greening the Borough' Strategy and incorporates the 'Triton' fountain designed by William James Bloye (1890-1975) the eminent civic sculptor and lecturer at Birmingham College of Art. 'Triton' was given to Worthing by May Elizabeth Hancocks in 1968 to commemorate the work of her husband Benjamin Hancocks A.R.C.A. (Lond) R.B.S.A. a fellow lecturer of Bloye in Birmingham. 'Triton' was unveiled on 8th May, 2007 by the Mayor of Worthing Councillor Major Tom Wye M.B.E. And the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport Councillor Paul High. |
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Classification
| Categories: | Sculptural, Free Standing, Functional, Commemorative |
| Object type1: | Sculpture |
| Object type2: | Fountain |
| Object subtype1: | Ornamental Fountain |
| Subject type1: | Mythological |
| Subject subtype1: | Seated |
| Subject type2: | Figurative |
| Subject subtype1: | Seated |
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Object Parts
| Part 1: | Statue |
| Material: | Bronze, patinated blue/green |
| Height (cm): | 130 |
| Width (cm): | 130 |
| Depth (cm): | 80 |
| Part 2: | Base |
| Material: | Rough hewn rock |
| Height (cm): | 80 |
| Width (cm): | 150 |
| Depth (cm): | 150 |
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Object Condition
| Overall condition: | Good |
| Risk assessment: | No known risk |
| Date of on-site inspection: | 19/06/2008 |
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History
| History: | Benjamin Hancocks was the designer of the Triton figure in the centre of the fountain. He subsequently made a quarter size clay model. He died before the sculpture could be scaled up to full size and then cast although it is unclear if there was ever the intention to produce a full size bronze. His widow commissioned the cast sculpture, presumably through William Bloye. Hancocks and his wife lived in Worthing at the time of his death. (Robin Norton, Great-Nephew of Benjamin Hancocks)
'Triton is Unveiled - Photocall Opportunity William Bloye’s ‘Triton’ fountain will be unveiled at it’s new resting place at the recently renovated Steyne Gardens costing £70,000 as part of the Council's greening of the borough initiative and the Disability Discrimination Act. Wheelchair users and people with limited mobility will be able to enjoy the new garden as two timber pergola lined ramped pathways replace the former steps, leading them into the newly landscaped area and Triton. The ‘Triton’ fountain was designed by William James Bloye (1890-1975) the eminent civic sculptor and lecturer at Birmingham College of Art and was given to Worthing by May Elizabeth Hancocks in 1968 to commemorate the work of her husband Benjamin Hancocks A.R.C.A. (Lond) R.B.S.A. a fellow lecturer of Bloye in Birmingham. The sculpture was first sited on an island on the boating pool at the back of the Aquarena swimming pool but was removed at the Council depot waiting for a new site to be found. Triton, refurbished by local company Paine Manwaring Green Ltd, sits on a new base with new pipework making the fountain trickle again. The gardens were originally presented to the town in 1900 by the Dowager Lady Maria Georgiana Loder, Widow of Sir Robert Loder DL.J.P. Baronet. The sunken garden was laid out as a scented garden for the blind by the three Rotary Clubs of Worthing to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Rotary International in 1980. Landbuild Ltd carried all the construction works. Photocall Opportunity - The media are invited to attend the official unveiling of Triton at a special ceremony to be held at South end of Steyne Gardens at 12 noon on Tuesday 8th May 2007. The Mayor, Councillor Tom Wye and Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, Councillor Paul High, will jointly carry out the reveal. A plaque to commemorate the occasion will also be unveiled. Light lunch refreshments will be served afterward in the Denton Lounge at the Pavilion Theatre to which the media are also invited'. (Released: 04 May 2007: http://www.worthing.gov.uk/WBC/news/newsarchive/newsarchive2007/may/title,39168,en.html) 'Triton fountain has emerged A RESCUED bronze Triton fountain, which can trickle again, has been unveiled at its new home – in the renovated Steyne Gardens, Worthing. The garden has had a £70,000 facelift as part of Worthing Council's ''Greening the Borough'' improvement programme under the Disability Discrimination Act. The new garden now includes two timber pergola-lined ramped pathways leading wheelchair users and people with limited mobility to the newly landscaped area. There, they will find the refurbished Triton fountain – originally sited at the now defunct boating lake at the Aquarena. Created by renowned sculptor William Bloye, the figure was given to the borough in 1968. It only needed a new base and pipes to bring it back to life and make it trickle again'. (http://www.westsussextoday.co.uk/worthing-news/Triton-fountain-has-emerged.2872066.jp) '4.1 The main scheme for 2006/7 is the refashioning of the sunken garden in Steyne Gardens. Incorporated in this scheme is the provision of a permanent site for the Triton statue which has sat for many years on an island in the defunct boating lake at the back of the Aquarena. This bronze was sculpted by William Bloye 1890-1975 a renowned sculptor of civic art and was presented to the Borough in 1968. The sunken garden will be linked by pathways for the first time to the main path network on the site. It is appropriate that Triton should be sited in Steyne Gardens as it was originally intended that it be part of the Steyne Gardens fountain, but this proved impractical. Work is programmed to begin in the Autumn and to finish by the end of December 2006. 5. COSTING 5.1 It is initially estimated that the engineering and construction work associated with this scheme will cost £44,000 including fees. This is largely due to the difference in levels and attendant access issues relating to wheelchairs and people with other disabilities. 5.2 Planting works as expected to cost upto £11,000. (http://www.worthing.gov.uk/WBC/your-council/minutesampagendas/cabinetmemberforcultureleisuresport/1march2006/pdffile,51593,en.pdf) |
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References
Further information: | |
| http://www.britishartists.co.uk/ben%20hancocks/index.html | |
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Photographs
Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
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