Details
SYDNEY GARDENS
656-1/32/1641
Gentlemen's Public Lavatories
approx 45m north of Holburne Museum
30/10/87
GV II
Gentlemen's public lavatories, dating from 1914, cast by the Star Works, Birmingham.
MATERIALS: The structure is of cast iron, with a later glass roof.
PLAN: The structure is roughly rectangular on plan, with an inset baffle entry.
EXTERIOR: The structure is based on a rectangular tubular framework which supports cast iron panels with decorative bands, over a plinth, dado and top; the plinth is articulated by decorative frames, with square decorative panels to dado level; and the top has a pierced ventilation frieze with a foliate motif.
INTERIOR: The open entrance is screened by a panel similar to those in the exterior, set back to create a baffle entry. The original fittings remain in situ.
HISTORY: Sydney Gardens were laid out as commercial pleasure grounds between 1792 and 1794; the initial design was by the architect Thomas Baldwin, who, after he went bankrupt, was replaced by Charles Harcourt Masters in 1794. They were opened on 11 May 1795 as Sydney Gardens Vauxhall, and rapidly became a popular place of entertainment, hosting public breakfasts, promenades and galas. The main building was the Sydney Tavern, which stood at the western end of the central walk. In 1799, a section of the Kennet and Avon Canal was cut through the gardens; and during the early C19, additional features and structures were introduced, adding variety and surprise in accordance with landscape design principles of the period. From c.1839, a section of the Great Western Railway was constructed, cutting through the gardens. In 1891, when the original 99-year lease of the Gardens expired, the entire site, including the Tavern, by then in use as a college, was sold. In 1908, the site was purchased by Bath City Council; the gardens were opened to the public as a municipal park in 1913, while the Tavern was remodelled into the Holburne of Menstrie Museum. The lavatories were added in 1914 at a cost of £400, a cast iron structure having been chosen for its economy. In the late C20, additional facilities including new lavatories were introduced, making the cast-iron lavatories redundant. The gardens remain in use as a public park.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
The gentlemen's lavatories in Sydney Gardens are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* An unusually complete survival of industrial prefabrication as applied to this specialised and vital building type, which represents an increasingly rare survival of this type of street furniture
* Despite its being a mass-produced structure, the casting is of good quality, and the building is far more decorative than would be strictly necessary for utility
* Group value with the nearby ladies' lavatories of the same date, and the other listed buildings and structures within Sydney Gardens
Listing NGR: ST7570165301
