An eye-catching 12ft high public drinking water feature where people can fill their bottles will be unveiled in a Kent high street later this month.

Called The Point, the “functional architecture” made from Portland stone and steel cost £150,000.

It is a gift from Canterbury Rotary Club to the city to celebrate the charity’s centenary.

The column is being erected at the junction of the High Street with Longmarket - the historic site of a previous drinking fountain and horse trough before the Second World War.

Although the Rotary Club marked its centenary in 2022, designing, obtaining planning consents and constructing The Point has taken until now to complete.

The club’s president during its centenary year was Stephen Thompson and he has been managing the project.

“The core of the idea came from the club’s late past president, Roger Bickerton, who recalled one previously located in the historic Longmarket,” he said.

“During the design phase, the pandemic struck and the original concept of The Point housing a drinking water fountain was changed to a water bottle filling point.”

The cost of the piece has been met entirely from private donations or donations of goods and services ‘in kind’.

Current Rotary president, Maxine Blades, added: “In wanting to make a gift to the people of Canterbury to mark the club’s centenary, club members decided it must be practical, resonate with the city’s historic past, have ‘green credentials’ and be artistically attractive.

“I believe The Point successfully ticks all those boxes. By providing a water bottle filling point, our club is also helping deliver the wider Rotary ideal of fostering harmony between communities and the environment.”

A key feature of The Point is a hole carved in a polished stainless-steel collar, allowing a visitor to see right through.

The collar lights up at night, below which is the water bottle filling mechanism.

Above the collar stands the Portland stone column inscribed with a quote from Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress: “Behold ye, how these crystal streams do glide, to comfort pilgrims by the highway-side.”

The feature was designed by Canterbury Rotarian and local architect Andrew Clague who had the task of combining the elements of the design brief.

Andrew, a director of James Clague Architects, said: “The innovation of the design is the unusual large hole in the stone column. Through this, unique photographs of a memorable visit to Canterbury can be taken by visitors.

“Hopefully, The Point will be a contemporary, fun meeting place as well as serving free Canterbury water to quench visitors’ thirst.”

He commissioned local sculptor Gary Newton to craft the column, which is currently being installed on-site.

Ownership of The Point will be taken over by Canterbury City Council, which has been working with the Rotary Club on the project and will look after its ongoing maintenance.

“The Rotary Club's new piece of architecture will be a great addition to the city and we are looking forward to the unveiling,“ said a spokesman.

The Point will be unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, The Lady Colgrain, at 11am on Tuesday, April 29, and is expected to be received on behalf of the city by Lord Mayor, Cllr Jean Butcher.