‘Escape Toilet’ Discovered in 500 Year Old Governor’s House, Newark
The 500 year old Governor’s House in Newark is a magnificent grade 1 listed structure.
The historic building was constructed in 1474 and was the headquarters of the governors of Newark during the Civil War from 1643 to 1646.
Its original structure has been kept, including the long-drop toilet (pictured below) said to have been used by King Charles I himself.
The historic town centre building has been empty for more than a year, but recently, it has been transformed into a coffee palace and trading market.
The grade I listed building was bought by Brendan Minihane in April of last year after previously being occupied by bakery chain Greggs.
When conservation renovations were done in 1987, they discovered a long drop toilet behind some plaster board.
There is a hole that leads down to the cellar to catch deposits (although visitors are now are encouraged to use the more modern facilities).
Since Charles I visited here during the civil war, it’s thought that he used this toilet during his stay.
Apparently, toilets were commonly used as escape routes hundreds of years ago.
More famously, Carew Castle in Tenby also featured an ‘escape toilet.’
Carew Castle escape toilet
In 1100, Gerald of Windsor married the beautiful Princess Nest and built the first castle on this site, which he had acquired as part of his wife's dowry.
Nest was the most extraordinary beauty of her age and was nicknamed "the Helen of Wales."
By the time of her marriage, she had already acquired a royal lover in the robust shape of Prince Henry, later to become King Henry I, by whom she had the first of her many offspring.
She had five legitimate children with Gerald.
Nine years into their marriage, Owain ap Cadwgan, a Prince of Ceredigion and Nest's distant cousin, became enraptured by her beauty and stormed the castle, determined to carry her off.
Tradition holds that Nest heard her would-be kidnapper banging on the bedroom door, urged her husband to escape down the toilet shaft, and then allowed herself to be carried to her cousin's Ceredigion love nest.
Today, the Governor’s House in Newark is now a coffee place, and the ground floor has books available for people to read as well as instruments including pianos and guitars for entertainment.
It’s a lovely, historical place to visit if you’re ever in the area.
If you’d like to visit, the address is: 23-24 Stodman St, Newark NG24 1AW.
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