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Orford Castle Toilets
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 One
of the most interesting castles with toilets is tiny Orford Castle in the eastern
part of England (it's near Ipswich).
On a sunny day it's a picture postcard
type of castle, though only the keep is still standing, on its considerable
earthworks.
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 What makes the castle
fascinating are the toilets, which were fairly numerous for the time period. Particularly
unusual are (1) the double toilets (in one room) to be found on the
first
floor and the urinal (all on the entrance level). Shown at the right, the urinal
is a rarity in many castles; urinals were usually just a small hole in the
floor. Here, a rather elaborate and roomy urinal was built for the constable
(the person in charge) of the castle.
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Equally interesting is the
sewer system. The discharge from the toilets emptied out at the rear of the keep
through a series of four rather large chutes. By concentrating
the waste in one area, perhaps the castle designer was hoping to confine the
stench to one place, too.
And if you are in the area, make
sure you don't miss Framlingham Castle, an enormous concentric castle, complete
with decorative Tudor chimneys.
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