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In the heart of Winchester, a city steeped in history, an unexpected treasure trove awaits visitors within the public toilets on Market Lane. Here, a unique mini museum has been curated by Winchester Museums, making visitors privy to the city’s sanitation and hygiene history.
The collection, displayed in the expansive front window of the toilet block, features an array of intriguing artefacts sourced from the museum’s collections, including a wooden sign that once directed ‘Gentlemen’ to the City Museum’s lavatory.
From pristinely preserved Roman mosaics and mediaeval water pitchers retrieved from latrine pits to Victorian toilet roll holders and Edwardian gravity flush systems, the two-story display spans over 1700 years of Winchester’s history. The various items offer a glimpse into the overlooked, and often cruder, aspects of the everyday lives of the past.