The Privy Counsel (A Bog Blog): Let's Get Medieval: King's Manor Toilet

A toilet fit for medievalists!

We have a juicy treat in store for you today; an absolutely lovely toilet in an absolutely lovely building, in an absolutely lovely town! As is perfectly clear from the description, we are talking about the toilet in King's Manor, York. We were actually late for Intellectual Friend's reading group the other day, because we were so absorbed in taking pictures of this beautiful bog.

That this toilet is a disability toilet is evident from the spaciousness, alarm button, easy-to-use-flush, and wall supports (oh, and the sign on the door). It is light and spacious, clean, and really smells quite nice.

It's really very comfortable. Note the disability-friendly flush

The sink has the kind of pointless mixer tap, so common in Britain, that usually doesn't actually work. However, this one does, surprisingly, eventually produce some lukewarm water (it was a cold day, and, as in all old English buildings, the water temperature changes with the weather).

Hurrah! A lovely tap! And it's disability-friendly!

The (rather stylish) soap dispenser dispenses pleasantly fragranced soap. Like all proper English institutions, the University of York displays signs of frantic health-and-safety awareness; there is a poster informing one of the dangers of disgusting personal habits, and the importance of washing one's hands.

Really rather stylish

Most students blatantly disregard these guidelines, turning up with the most disgusting germs oozing out of every orifice

The bin is covered, and at a pleasant distance from the toilet-goer, and there is an air dryer and a paper towel dispenser! Moreover, there is a separate bin for paper towels.

A most holy and encouraging trinity

There is no coat hook, but one can hang one's bag from the door handle, or put it on the windowsill, where a healthy-looking pot plant and a spare toilet roll add to the pleasantness of the room.