A historic Chatham monument has returned to the area it once proudly stood in.

The Driver Fountain, built in 1899 as a water fountain for people and horses, has been moved to a location within eyeshot of its original site at the Luton Arches.

It was donated by three-time mayor William Dawes Driver as a memorial to his late father Joshua Driver, a highly-respected Chatham councillor, merchant and philanthropist.

The monument, which weighs around seven tonnes, is made of Peterhead red and Aberdeen blue granite, featuring three drinking basins and a horse trough when first installed.

But in 1961 the monument – minus the trough which had been disposed of – was moved to Chatham Cemetery due to unrealised plans to build a taxi rank in its place.

In the process all its plumbing was removed and cavities backfilled with concrete, and it was left to languish in a neglected corner of the cemetery until this year.

Resident-led organisation Arches Local took on the challenge to bring the Driver Fountain back to Luton after years of discussions in the local community.

Over the course of a week in September, expert stonemasons Taylor Pearce cleaned, dismantled and relocated the monument to a leafy grass verge in New Road, some metres away from its original site.

New planting by award-winning landscapers Meristem Design and an interpretation board, revealing the remarkable history of the monument, have also been added.

Amid cheers and celebrations the Driver Fountain was unveiled in its new home at a ceremony on Saturday (26 October), attended by local residents, history enthusiasts and the Arches Local team.

Describing the importance of the monument’s return, a spokesperson for Arches Local said: “Relocating the historic Driver Fountain on its 125th anniversary is yet another step in our ongoing commitment to repairing Chatham’s urban landscape.

“We believe that our shared spaces should be places where nature thrives, culture is celebrated, and communities come together.”

It is hoped the legacy of both Joshua and William Driver will continue to be a part of Chatham’s story for generations to come, the spokesperson added.

The Driver Fountain’s relocation is just one of several positive projects with a lasting impact being delivered by Arches Local.

The ambitious organisation is transforming the Luton area of Chatham through colourful murals, dozens of street trees and Kent’s first urban Neighbourhood Plan, a planning policy document that influences future development.

Arches Local was formed in 2012 as part of the National Lottery-funded Big Local programme, and is entirely overseen by a diverse group of local people.