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Twenty First Dig Day – Friday 5th July 2013

West side of outside toilet
West side of outside toilet.

The outside toilet’s stone floor, doorstep and path all extended beyond the edge of Wednesday’s trench, so four volunteer diggers on Friday extended the trench sideways to further its excavation. Our discoveries included:

  • Slot for toilet door hinge
    Slot for toilet door hinge.

    a substantial slot for a door hinge;

  • Red paint drops on stones exterior to toilet
    Red paint drops on stones exterior to toilet.

    Red (lead?) paint splashes on some of the external surfaces (which matched the red paint found on several roof slate fragments found only in this area);

  • Stone/flint paved path to outside toilet
    Stone/flint paved path to outside toilet

    a paved/cobbled stone and flint path edged by the diagonally laid stones we had previously found;

  • Bricks which may form part of the toilet wall
    Bricks which may form part of the toilet wall

    and indications that the toilet’s wall was substantial and built of brick.

Toilet floor showing mortar slab
Toilet floor showing mortar slab.

Extending the excavation of the floor inside, the beginnings of a slightly raised fine grained grey mortar slab was discovered, butting against the cream coloured stone slab, directly opposite the line of bricks, and clearly in-situ. Its front edge was slightly dished towards its centre, and had a series of slots along its front edge. This was the business end of the toilet, and would have supported a bench with a hole in its centre located over a bucket placed underneath. We have been informed that there was another door on this side of the toilet to enable the removal of the bucket. Only further excavation will be able to confirm this.

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