An historic 125-year-old monument has been returned to its original location after a decade-long campaign.

The Driver Fountain was initially installed at the Luton Arches in Chatham in 1899 until it was relocated in 1961 owing to an ill-fated taxi rank scheme.

It was designed to serve both townspeople and horses, with both drinking basins and a trough, at the middle of the main junction.

The Peterhead red and Aberdeen blue granite fountain was donated by the mayor of Chatham, William Dawes Driver in memory of his father - Joshua Driver, a successful merchant, politician and philanthropist.

The fountain originally stood beneath the arches, next to the roundabout, but due to extensive engineering works and road closures required for its safe reassembly the site by the footbridge at the side of the New Road A2 was chosen.

It had moved from its original location in 1961 as there were plans for a taxi rank to be created in the area, but this scheme never came to fruition and it remained in Chatham Cemetery.

Resident-led organisation Arches Local has been working for a decade to try and get it returned to near its original spot.

They say several attempts were made to try and get the fountain moved back to its original spot but each proved unsuccessful.

But this year it decided to make one more effort and commissioned Taylor Pearce, a royal warrant-holding stonemasons, and Meristem Design, landscape designers, to help prepare the fountain and the area it has been moved to

It says now the fountain has been returned to its rightful place, the legacy of both Joshua and William Driver will continue to be a part of Chatham’s story for generations to come.

A spokesperson for Arches Local said: “Relocating the historic Driver Fountain on its 125th anniversary is yet another step in our ongoing commitment to repairing Chatham’s urban landscape.

“We believe that our shared spaces should be places where nature thrives, culture is celebrated, and communities come together.”

When disassembling the fountain, Arches Local found that some time prior the internal plumbing had been removed and the gaps were filled in with concrete - so the fountain is not able to dispense water anymore.

The project was fully funded and managed by the resident-led organisation as part of the National Lottery-funded Big Local programme.

It was also involved in the creation of the Arches Chatham Neighbourhood Plan which residents supported at a referendum in May.

A ceremony was held to celebrate the return of the Driver Fountain to its original location on Saturday (October 26).