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Cumbrian Privies Find!

This fascinating book written by John Dawson and published in 1997 records the history of Cumbrian privies from the soldiers' latrines at the Roman forts on Hadrian's Wall, the 'garderobes' in the great castles and religious houses of the Middle Ages, the multi-use privy buildings in the towns and through to the cottage privy at the end of the garden path.

Open this book at any page and discover some fscinating facts about the humble privy. From a Public Health Survey of Kendal written in 1849 we learn the reason why St Thomas's church, built in the mid-1830's, has its tower at the east end. The west end could not provide a firm enough foundation because the builders discovered a mass of solidified sewage to a depth of at least 12 feet. This stuff had percolated down over the years from the closely packed cottages higher up the hillside.

Privy design reflected the building styles of the local houses and they were, in fact, known as the 'small house'. "The overall size of the privy varied in direct ratio to the establishment which it served. The little cottage model needed to accommodate no more than a single hole internally; the general purpose farm model was rather bigger, featuring two holes. Then there were architect designed installations for the mansion or small country house. These were often divided by a central interior wall, thus providing for the family at one end and staff, particularly perhaps those whose work was mainly in the grounds, at the other".

Inside the privy there could be more than one hole. "In a two-holer, one will normally be smaller than the other, and may well have a little step fixed against the frontal below it, so that young children, or perhaps arthritic grandparents, could reach the throne more easily. Three holers are fairly rare; but here also the size of the holes was graduated".

In his research John Dawson discovered privies which have now been converted into garden sheds and wood stores, workshops and summer rooms, hen houses and beer cellars. Some privies are still being used for their original purpose. Illustrated throughout with wonderful black and white photographs of Cumbrian privies, inside and out, this is a delightful book of social history and gives an insight into a very necessary part of everday life. The book ends with the following poem written by Audrey Dent of Bolton, Cumbria.

The Poor Little Has-Been

I'm a 'privy' at the bottom of the garden

All purpose built and private as can be

An intruder when I'm occupied must ask for pardon

Although there's room enough in here for three

I think I'm something special, though I wouldn't say I'm smart

My walls are painted white and rather bare

I'm just an ordinary little building from others set apart

But when you're desperate and you need me I am there

Should you be sitting comfortable and cosy

And you hear a noise behind which makes you quake

Don't worry it's not someone being nosey

It's old Tom who's come to clean me with his rake

Old Tom's the man who, monthly, calls to take away my load

With his job well done, I couldn't feel much cleaner

Oh! It's good to hear his cart wheels on the road

And the fields around are definitely greener!

I've a secret that perhaps I shouldn't tell you

But I will because, you see, it boosts my pride

If the menfolk through the day get tired, as they do

I'm the quiet little haven where they hide

One day a week my mistress goes quite crazy

She attacks me like the waves upon a beach

When she's finished I am whiter than a daisy

Through her scrubbing and her scouring with the bleach

Today I heard a very tragic story

I do believe we're going to get the push

Yes, we at last are giving up our glory

To a new sophisticated toilet that will flush

                        BUT

When the plumbing's all gone wrong

Or the summer drought is long

And the water isn't flushing as it should

Ah! then you'll all be wishing that we hadn't gone for good.

28 October 2009 from Mary Rossall

1 Comment

Helen | October 28, 2009 10:46 PM | Reply

Hello Mary
Fascinating post...and another Reading Detective link.
Don't know if I mentioned this to you, but Tom Rawling wrote a poem entitled Privy. It is on page 28 of his book, How Hall.
The privy was in the garden of his Grandmother's house where he lived as a child, and the book even has photos of it!
It was a vert grand affair and even had ancient stone carvings. To quote a very small extract:

Each morning the women would put us on trial,
"Have you been today?" and look towards the castor oil,
then send us to sit on the daily-scrubbed
white deal three-seater, where we used to read
cut-up pages of the Whitehaven News.
In the ancient privy, a stone head observed us,
as it once had watched monks struggling to purge
unmentionable sins, forbidden thoghts.

Helen

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