Relief

Sun Fire Office

Site: Cornhill pump (5 memorials)

EC3, Cornhill

Around the top are some delightful reliefs in iron of the badges of early fire insurance companies: Sun, Phoenix, London and Royal Exchange. These are all crudely coloured with red, gold, blue.  See 'Also at this site'.

This water pump, designed by architect Nathaniel Wright, is Grade II listed, where it is described “Obelisk of cast iron with canted corners, slight decoration and long inscriptions. Granite trough probably of later date.” As you can see from our photos the pump is (2011) in a dreadful state of repair. Let's hope someone notices soon and perhaps the modern day equivalents of its original erectors will fund its restoration.

2015: prompted by Jon Pettigrew on Facebook we must report that the pump was indeed restored not long after we photographed it.  (Keeping London Remembers up-to-date could become a full-time job.)  But the splendid A London Inheritance has photographed it for us, and provided some earlier photos and history.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Sun Fire Office

Subjects commemorated i

Sun Fire Office

Founded in London, now the oldest existing insurance company in the world.

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Sun Fire Office

Also at this site i

Cornhill pump

Cornhill pump

We understand "the neighbouring fire officers" to mean the four fire assuranc...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Women's Social and Political Union - prisoners' badge

Women's Social and Political Union - prisoners' badge

SW1, Abingdon Street, Victoria Tower Gardens

The sculpture shows a WSPU prisoners' badge. This was designed by Sylvia Pankhurst - see there for more information about it.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Faraday on the ICI building entrance doors

Faraday on the ICI building entrance doors

SW1, Millbank, 9, Imperial Chemical House

These doors are in the centre of the river frontage of the building. Mapping of sculpture alerted us to this memorial: "The ground floor...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Saville Theatre - Chester Players

Saville Theatre - Chester Players

WC2, Shaftesbury Avenue, Odeon Covent Garden

The ‘Drama Through the Ages’ frieze is by Gilbert Bayes. The listing says "Bayes' frieze is one of the largest and most important works o...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
CI - 4 - Market

CI - 4 - Market

EC3, Cornhill, 32

The carved doors are at the right of the building, behind the cyclist in our picture.  According to Esoteric London these panels, listed ...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Lady Jane Grey accepting the crown

Lady Jane Grey accepting the crown

SW1, Little George Street, Supreme Court

At one time this was the site of nearby Westminster Abbey's Sanctuary Tower and Belfry. This building was designed by James S. Gibson an...

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator