Why should I be remotely interested that a small oak weather boarded structure in Benenden, Kent is set to de declared a Grade II listed building this week? The weather boarded structure in question located close to an attractive Georgian farmhouse happens to be a toilet.
The official report by English Heritage for the Department of Culture declares it "a rare surviving example of a late 18th century privy, even rarer because it is a three-seater”
"It is the most glorious little building," its proud owner said. "It faces towards the evening sun, and it is the most delightful place to sit in the evening with a glass of wine and the door open, and just be peaceful and think." The owner adds that that it is no longer in practical use, though she suspects it was in until the 1960s.
The privy is believed to date from 1775, when the main house was rebuilt after a fire. Although dozens of privies have been listed, most are Victorian. Three-seaters are very rare.
A three-seater toilet? I suppose in those days families were far more communal, sharing duties and also sharing necessities... I wonde if it’s safe to say that the family that lays cable together stays together?
