American Fountain

Gifted by American publisher George W Childs in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, and designed by Birmingham architect Jethro Cossins, this ornate Victorian Gothic clock tower was unveiled by Shakespearean actor Henry Irving. Lions, eagles, owls and Tudor roses adorn the tower; a fairy sits atop each clock face representing A Midsummer Night's Dream. Although the fountain no longer runs, the clocks and bell still work. The horse troughs, once filled with water, now bloom with flowers.