The historic drinking fountain is located in Coronation Gardens, Southfields, a public park established in 1903 on land donated by Sir William Lancaster, a former Mayor of Wandsworth and co-founder of the Putney School of Art and Design. The gardens were laid out by pioneering landscape architect Fanny Wilkinson to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII. The fountain, gifted in 1904 by Lancaster’s sisters, stands as a central feature along a path lined with horse chestnut trees, accessed through original gates on Merton Road.

Crafted from rough-hewn granite, the fountain originally featured an Art Nouveau-style bowl and ornamental railings, with a figurine of a water bearer above the drinking bowl. Over time, the sculpture and the commemorative plaque were lost—believed stolen—while the fountain structure deteriorated due to age and weather exposure.

London Stone Conservation carried out a full restoration of the drinking fountain in 2025 to make it fully functional and open to use for the public. The restoration project involved full structural repair, reinstatement of the water supply, and the addition of a new bronze figurine depicting Fanny Wilkinson. The sculpture, created by PSAD alumna Gillian Brett, was selected through an art competition. The project was supported by the Friends of Coronation Gardens, Heritage of London Trust, Wandsworth Council, the Drinking Fountain Association, Putney School of Art and Design, and local community groups.