About £10k raised to move Telford drinking fountain

The Bartlett drinking fountain was moved from Ironbridge Square in the 1960s

More than £10,000 has been raised in a bid to move a drinking fountain in Telford back to its original home.

The 19th Century Bartlett Fountain currently sits in Waterloo Street after being moved there in the 1960s.

It was transported from its original site in Ironbridge Square to allow easier access for buses at the time.

The Ironbridge & Coalbrookdale Civic Society is leading fundraising efforts, with more than £20,000 still needed.

The group said it was named after local reverend John Bartlett, who brought clean water to Ironbridge in the 1800s.

After his death in 1861, his wife dedicated the drinking fountain in his memory.

Marcus Keane, the founder of the Telford Memories Facebook group, is also part of the campaign to return it to its original home.

He said: "It's part of the history of that area and it's got people excited."

The Telford Memories group marked its 10th anniversary on Sunday after amassing more than 32,000 members.

"Some people don't realise how great of a place Telford is," Mr Keane told Radio Shropshire, adding that he had sought to connect up the different towns and villages that made up the new town.