The Piazza Fountain at Beetham Plaza in Liverpool city centre, known locally as the 'Bucket Fountain', has been brought back to life this week. The water feature, located just off Drury Lane, had been decommissioned for some time before its renewal was confirmed on social media by the 'Save the Piazza Fountain' (SPF) campaign.
The fountain was installed in 1962 with help from the Merseyside Civic Society (MCS), which describes it as one of Liverpool's most recognisable architectural structures and a "playful, fun piece of public art." Welded by Cammell Laird workers 50 years ago, it was made by Welsh sculptor Richard Huws and is believed to be one of only two kinetic fountains still in existence in the UK.
How the Fountain Works
The pivoted buckets are suspended on rods from which they are filled with water, causing them to tilt when full and then empty into lower buckets, before eventually falling into the pool below. When the piece was installed, Mr Huws said: "It is a waterfall of a strange new kind."
Originally destined for Skelmersdale, the Arts Council contributed £750 towards Merseyside Civic Society's campaign to have the sculpture relocated along the banks of the Mersey, on the site of the old Goree Warehouse which was bombed during WWII.
Restoration and Public Reaction
In August 2019, the Piazza Fountain and its viewing platforms were awarded Grade-II listing by Historic England, protecting the work from destruction. In late 2024, the sculpture was repainted and refurbished.
The SPF campaign posted: "Good news for all fountain lovers. Our fountain has now been cleaned and restarted, only for a trial period, and for a few hours each day, but we hope to extend that once essential electrical works have been completed. Exciting times ahead so watch this space!"
The statement prompted supportive responses, including one user who wrote: "This is amazing news. Was my favourite place to visit as a kid […] made up." Another added: "The buckets are back!"
Fully Operational Display
A visit to Beetham Plaza found the fountain fully operational, with water being recycled through the curved 'bucket' like structures, making for an impressive display.
Cllr Nick Small, ward representative for City Centre North, who has supported the campaign to restore the fountain, said: "I'm absolutely delighted they've got the water on and brought it back into use. It's a really exciting because it really is one of Liverpool's hidden gems in Liverpool, and I'm hoping this news will raise awareness and help bring more people to pay it a visit. Hopefully, we can look at bringing in some additional funding to do other things there."
