[62355] Hull : Victoria Pier Public Conveniences

Public Conveniences, Nelson Street, Victoria Pier, Hull, 1926.

Grade ll listed.

 

The structure is remarkably intact, retaining almost all the original fixtures and fittings, including panelled doors, partitions for the washroom and attendant’s room, the original suite of J Duckett & Sons porcelain lavatory fittings, and tiled interior and terrazzo floor surfaces.

 

Hull City Council posted a notice in the Hull Daily Mail on Monday 15 March 1926 inviting builders to submit tenders for the construction of a new public convenience in Nelson Street. This date of construction is earlier than suggested in the Pevsner Architectural Guide - Hull, which suggests the 1930s. The conveniences were erected on the site of a tram stop, adjacent to the Victoria (Corporation) Pier, which served the Humber ferry crossing to New Holland, replacing an earlier men only cast-iron urinal. The new building was built in an Edwardian style, with Art Nouveau features and detailing and was fitted-out to a high standard, with sanitary fittings supplied by J Duckett & Son Limited, of Burnley. The “Kensington” Combination wash-down pedestals, and the seven-person “Severn” Urinal Range, both of which were illustrated in the company’s 1913 sanitary appliances catalogue. It is interesting to note that Hull City Council did not choose the most expensive models in the catalogue, but they did choose the most expensive white ware versions of both the Kensington and Severn models. Facilities were provided both for Ladies and Gentlemen, reflecting changes in the social status of women, with the entrances at opposed corners of the building being supervised by attendants. During the 1990s and the early 2000s, the facilities regularly featured in the Loo of the Year Awards, including winning the Golden Loo Brush of the Year Award.

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