BBC Television were present on Hadley Green to record the final inspection and handover of a newly-restored pink granite water fountain which will once again offer the chance of a refreshing drink of water after being out of order for the last 50 years.

Stonemasons from London Stone Conservation dismantled the ornate structure, cleaned, and restored the sections of pink marble, and installed new pipework and push button taps before being re-assembled.

It stands just by the duck pond at the boundary of Hadley Green and Barnet High Street and was erected in 1885 by local benefactor, Miss Ann Paget.

Heritage of London Trust, which has a programme to repair abandoned water drinking fountains across London, gave a £15,000 grant towards the cost.

Dr Nicola Stacey, director of the trust (left), said the restoration of Hadley Green’s fabulous ornamental fountain would not have been possible without the inspiration, commitment, and enthusiasm of Peter Wanders who had masterminded the £30,000 restoration.

Mr Wanders, proprietor of Wanders shoe shop in the High Street, started campaigning five years ago to get the fountain restored.

By dint of his perseverance, he secured a grant for half the cost from the trust; a £2,700 donation from Barnet Council; Affinity Water agreed to meet the £7,000 cost of reconnecting the fountain to the water supply; and a crowd-funding appeal raised over £2,000.

The fountain is due to be fully functioning – with the water supply reconnected – by the end of the month.

Once Barnet Council has renewed paths and grass around the fountain, Mr Wanders is planning an official opening ceremony sometime in April.

Hadley Green’s drinking fountain is the ninth which the Heritage of London Trust has helped to restore, and work is underway repairing and reconnecting another six.

“We think there are about 100 public water fountains across London that could be restored and we have been absolutely taken aback by Peter Wanders’ patience in getting all the authorities to get their act together.

“Hadley Green is a wonderful location for a water fountain and one can only pay tribute to Miss Paget for her generosity in constructing a fountain which is still in perfect condition almost 140 years later.

“Peter’s success in seeing this project through to completion will help us develop further momentum in restoring these fountains.

“They are so appreciated by passers-by and people out walking and will help remove the need to buy throw-away plastic bottles of water.”

The team of stonemasons seen here finishing off the restoration – from left to right Ambrose Blatchford, Joseph Ward and Ugis Zvaguzis – said there was no doubt that the Hadley Green fountain was among the finest they had worked on in London.

“We find it really satisfying working on a restoration like this. The original craftsman’s ship was of such a high order but inevitably much of the pink granite had become badly stained and needed a good clean,” said Mr Blatchford.

Basically, it was in good condition but the internal lead piping needed to removed and replaced with new copper pipework and new push button brass taps installed.

One modification which Mr Ward had to work on, as the lead conservator, was to improve the draining hole from the bowl below each of the taps.

Health and safety changes insist there should be no standing water in the bowls because of the danger of contamination.

There is also a bowl at the base of the fountain, which is filled by an overflow, where dogs can get a drink.