Middleton-in-Teesdale's landmark fountain ruined by 'hideous' street clutter

THE best thing to do with an unsightly noticeboard in the centre of an award-winning dale village is to take a chainsaw to it.
That was the view of Middleton-in-Teesdale resident Dave Kneller, who told members of the parish council that the village centre was full of “clutter”.
Mr Kneller's comments came as councillors discussed the state of the Bainbridge Memorial Fountain and the nearby large noticeboard, which is shared by the parish and county councils.
The fountain was original ly put up in 1877 in honour of Robert Walton Bainbridge, superintendent of the London Lead Mining Company, which chose Middleton-in-Teesdale as its main administrative centre in the 19th century.
Such was Mr Bainbridge’s popularity that when he
retired, a collection raised enough money to pay for the eye-catching feature.
Mr Kneller said: “The fountain is an absolute feature of the village. It is an asset. Everyone who comes to the village remembers it,” he said.
“However, you can’t get a decent picture of the fountain because there is that much clutter round it.”
He added: “There are litter bins, seats and now we have a lump of stone that has ‘bloom’ inscribed on it, which is hideous.”
Mr Kneller highlighted the number of road signs on the junction of Bridge Street and Horsemarket which detracted from the border which has been trimmed and restored.
“Then there is the noticeboard in which you (the parish council) have a quarter share.
“I cringe when I see it. It wants a chainsaw taking to it.
“The Tourist Information Centre is the place for a noticeboard.”
The meeting was told that despite thousands of pounds being spent on maintenance, paint was flaking on the fountain and rust was showing. The design of a replacement tap was also called into question.
Mr Kneller said the current state of the fountain did not give a good impression of the village.
“The fountain should be respected. The tap is hideous – there are plenty of period taps available.”
Parish council chairwoman Cllr Sheila Milnes conceded: “We have had a lot of difficulty getting the fountain up to scratch.”
At Mr Kneller’s suggestion, the parish council is to contact a metal paint specialist and also seek quotes for a new tap.
With regard to the noticeboard, the parish was told a letter had been received from Durham County Council saying a previous funding source for maintenance was no longer available and asking if the parish council could contribute.
Members of the parish council agreed to discuss this at a later meeting.