Custom House Square

Connie Bree / Stephen Shaw

Belfast's Custom House Square once known as Albert Square was built on land reclaimed in the 1750s and in 1857 Charles Lanyon completed the Custom House which dominates the square today. In 1859 the Calder Fountain, Belfast's first and oldest drinking fountain for horses and cattle was placed south of the Custom House. The fountain was dedicated to the life and memory of the Commander Francis Anderson Calder, founder member of the Belfast Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Calder in his later years had fought for the welfare of the city's horses and cattle.

Since redevelopment in 2005 the fountain has been moved to the opposite side of the square, debunked of its original purpose, but the grass (protected by long established grazing rights) remains untouched. The sculpture plays on the tensions between this grass sanctuary and the increasing development, construction and traffic surrounding its location. The history and legacy that the land holds and struggles to maintain.