Beatty Fountain Bronzes - Trafalgar Square - London, UK.
N 51° 30.477 W 000° 07.709
30U E 699266 N 5710223
The Beatty fountain bronzes were sculpted by William McMillan.(1887-1977). There are two large fountains in Trafalgar Square, The Beatty & Jellico fountains. The Mermen and Dolphin Sculpture waymarked here is located in the Beatty Fountain.
Waymark Code: WMF771
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/04/2012
Views: 27
This bronze sculpture is located in the Beaty Fountain at Trafalgar Square, in the centre of London.
London's Trafalgar Square has two large fountains. One fountain has a sculpture of mermen by McMillan. The other fountain, known as the Jellicoe Fountain, also has a similar sculpture, but by a different sculptor.
The mouth of the dolphin serves as a water spout for the fountain. This bronze is by the artist William McMillan. Another sculpture by McMillan is nearby, It is a bust of Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, for whom this fountain is named.
"The Jellicoe fountain was positioned on the right or western side of Lord Nelson, Jellicoe being the Senior Officer, and that commemorating Beatty on the left or eastern side.. These positions had been agreed with the Admiralty". (
visit link)
"Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO (17 January 1871 – 11 March 1936) was an admiral in the Royal Navy. Achieving career success at an early age, he commanded the British battlecruisers at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, a tactically indecisive engagement after which his aggressive approach was contrasted with the caution of his commander Admiral Jellicoe. Later in the war he succeeded Jellicoe as Commander in Chief of the Grand Fleet, in which capacity he received the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet at the end of hostilities, and then in the 1920s he served a lengthy term as First Sea Lord (head of the British Royal Navy)". Text Source: (
visit link)
He is best remembered today for his comment that "There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today" at Jutland, where two of his battlecruisers exploded and sank under German fire exacerbated by design faults and poor strategy.