Port Sunlight’s much-loved Grade II listed Boating Pond and fountain have been out of action for five years – now hundreds of thousands of pounds have been secured to bring them back to life. Tony McDonough reports
One of the best-loved features in Wirral’s picturesque Port Sunlight Village is to be restored after Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT) secured “substantial funding”.
Located in front of the Lady Lever Art Gallery, the Grade II-listed Boating Pond and accompanying Sea Piece fountain saw the water switched off five years ago when it was discovered structural issues were causing water to leak into the ground underneath.
With repairs estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and no money available to carry them out, the pond and the fountain have remained dry, disappointing the 300,000-plus a year visitors to the village.
However, now PSVT has secured what it says is a substantial amount of funding from the Lord Leverhulme’s Charitable Trust. This means work can start on the restoration of the pond and fountain soon with work expected to be complete by autumn 2026.
Planning permission for the project has also been secured and Andrew Bowden, chair of PSVT, said: “Lord Leverhulme’s Charitable Trust’s invaluable support will ensure our charitable funds can be spent where they are most needed, all whilst creating a meaningful legacy for the Boating Pond that keeps William Lever’s philanthropic vision alive.”
Built almost 140 years ago, Port Sunlight was constructed on former marshland by industrialist William Hesketh Lever close to Bebington. He wanted to offer homes to the workers at his soap factory.
It comprises 900 Grade II-listed buildings within 130 acres of parkland. The village welcomes 300,000 visitors a year and includes the Lady Lever Art Gallery, a visitor centre and the Gladstone Theatre. Its residential properties are home to more than 2,000 people.
In 2024, the trust celebrated 25 years since it was established to take over stewardship of Port Sunlight from global giant Unilever, which still has a factory and R&D centre in the village where its original Lever Brothers soap factory was built.
In May, LBN revealed Port Sunlight is to undergo a multi-million pound transformation including a £1.5m project to improve the thermal efficiency of hundreds of homes.
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Originally constructed in the early 1930s as part of the landscape design of the Diamond opposite Lady Lever Art Gallery, the Boating Pond was a key element of the plans William Lever had for the central part of the village.
The pond, with its central Sea Piece Fountain – designed by renowned sculptor Sir Charles Wheeler and installed in 1950 – has long been a focal point for both the village and its visitors.
Andrew added: “Over a century since the village was founded, the task of conserving Port Sunlight is increasingly complex and costly.
“From the Boating Pond to our historic buildings and landscapes, the support of others has never been more important to ensuring Port Sunlight is protected for future generations.”