The Neptune Fountain

One of Cheltenham’s famous attractions; the Neptune Fountain sits proudly on The Promenade and looks particularly magnificent in the warmer months when the water flows, showering the Greek God and his majestic hippocamps. The fountain was designed by Joseph Hall and sculpted by Richard Lockwood Boulton in 1893.

The statue adds to Cheltenham’s spa town charm, reminiscent of the internationally famous (due to its world heritage site status) city of Bath. It depicts Greek God Neptune at the centre, high above all the other statues, holding the trident with a conch-blowing merman on each side. At his feet are the four hippocamps, half horse and fish, rearing dramatically. It’s a spectacular sculpture that never ceases to draw attention on The Prom.

Roman traces are dotted throughout the Cotswolds; the best sites being Chedworth Roman Villa, The Roman Baths in Bath and The Corinium Museum in Cirencester.

Fun fact: The word ‘hippopotamus’ derives from the Greek “water horse”.