A Toilet Visit That Takes You Back Over 500 Years!

Who knew that a visit to the toilets could take you on a journey more than five centuries into the past?

At The Star in Hoddesdon, a J D Wetherspoon establishment, the washrooms offer much more than modern facilities, they provide a fascinating glimpse into the history of the building itself.

During refurbishment, examination of the roof revealed timber beams dating back to the mid-1400s, with some timbers dated to between winter 1446/47 and spring 1448. This strongly suggests that construction took place around 1448, or within a year or two afterwards.

It is now thought that the building was originally a medieval open hall.

And the history doesn't stop there...

The timber framing tells the story of how the building evolved over the centuries.

Smoke blackening and soot remain on some of the roof timbers, believed to date back to the original open hall and a hall fire in the 15th century.

An 18th-century modernisation saw the building re-fronted, with the earlier timber framing replaced by a Georgian brick façade and bay windows.

What makes this particularly fascinating is that these incredible pieces of history are still visible above the toilets today.

It is a wonderful reminder that when we visit a washroom, we are sometimes standing in a place with a story that goes far beyond the facilities themselves.

At the Loo of the Year Awards, we love discovering washrooms that are not only well cared for, but are part of something bigger, history, heritage, culture and the places we visit.

Who would have thought there could be 500+ years of history above your head while using the loo?!