Private Fountain, Kensington

Because little would grow in the north-facing and hemmed-in rear garden of this private terraced house in Kensington the client decided to introduce hard landscaping and a fountain, with planting confined to narrow borders of shade tolerant plants.

The central area was laid with small granite setts with a granite fountain, fabricated by stonemason Mario Pedretti, centrally placed over a new underground chamber containing the fountain’s pump and reservoir tank. Existing York stone perimeter slabs were re-laid to accommodate a galvanised steel slot drain.

The fountain, imported by the client from Italy, came in 6 sections, and was assembled on site, and is designed to make a gentle splashing noise with a ripple effect. Restricted site access led to the fountain being delivered through a new opening in the back wall of the adjacent department store – and was fitted with a brick clad door in case it was needed again.