A few years ago we excavated a privy and its associated ash pit at a cottage built around 1810. Despite the below ground structure being seldom seen (ie except when completely emptying the pit) we were initially surprised that so much trouble had been taken in the construction of an arch between the two components. However, it soon became obvious that this is the most practical and economical solution not some decorative flourish by the builder!
To bridge a gap wider than the length of a house-brick without using bricks would require some form of lintel, whether of wood, iron or stone. The first two options would not be ideal in a perpetually wet environment and stone would be more expensive. This explains why we find the earlier pattern repeated at our current site in almost identical form albeit slightly larger in keeping with the comparative size of the building.
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| Partially collapsed arch found at current excavation |
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| Smaller arch at earlier excavation |