Inspirational Dragons

Project Description:

The ultimate vision is to develop a fountain in the form of a dragon, a fitting sculpture for a town branding itself as the birthplace of the Tudor Dynasty.  It was the red dragon of the ancient British King Cadwaladr that Henry Tudor chose as his standard on his victorious march to Bosworth.  He was heralded as the Mab Darogan, Son of Prophesy, and heralded in the songs of the bards as the Welshman who would lead his people out of oppression and gain the English throne.  Should this project be successful, the statue of King Henry VII (which stands on the Mill Bridge) will look down across the Millpond to see the dragon of Wales rise up again. For a long time, the idea of a fountain to aerate the water has been suggested due to the poor water quality of the millpond. The concept of the fountain has also been the catalyst for many ideas which encompass heritage, art and design, science and technology, STEM education and Inspirational Dragons aspires to put all these elements together in an exciting, innovative project.

Project Outcomes:

The scoping study and the design stage of the fountain were completed and led to two local primary schools exploring water technologies.   The public consultation could not go ahead due to Covid restrictions but, as a vital part of the project, the views of the community regarding the design of the fountain will be sought at some stage.  Local sculptor, Gideon Peterson, produced the maquette which is now on display, alongside information regarding the project, in a shop window in Pembroke Main Street and funding is being sought for the construction of the actual fountain which would be part of an overall regeneration strategy to promote Pembroke as the birthplace of the Tudor Dynasty.

Lessons Learned:

The project would have been completed were it not for Covid and the project having to close earlier than planned. When work begins on the next phase of the project, the actual construction of the dragon fountain, the intension is to involve schools.