Also titled 'The Rising Universe'
The Shelley Fountain was designed by Angela Connor, and erected in 1996 to commemorate the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley who was born in Horsham at Field Place in 1792. It carries a plaque bearing one of his poems.
The sculpture gradually filled up as a sheet of water coursed over its smooth surface, causing it to sink lower. When full, the water whooshed from the ball into the fountain base. Local youngsters enjoyed walking around the base when dry and all of the water was in the ball, playing 'chicken' with the tidal wave that eventually crashed into the fountain.
The fountain was turned off in spring 2006 to save water. Despite recycling, it used 180 gallons a day to cover evaporation and filtration losses. However, the council made water saving efficiencies elsewhere and the fountain was turned on again on its tenth birthday November 13 2006, but was turned off again after that Christmas. Its hydraulics have since failed and in January 2009 the fountain was fenced off for repairs.....
Its future is now very uncertain....Horsham District Council is currently holding a consultation exercise with the area's population, as to whether it should be repaired, or removed. There is a considerable campaign to save it.