Antique Lavatories/Toilets

Antique Lavatories/Toilets

We often take the humble toilet for granted. The toilet has been in existence for thousands of years – rudimentary drainage systems have been excavated from even the Neolithic period. However, for a long time there was no efficient system for disposing of human waste – though the flush toilet had been invented by Sir John Harrington in 1592. It took the cholera outbreaks of the 1830s and 1850s to prompt the government to build a London sewage system. The sewers revolutionised sanitation and pushed for the toilet to be produced commercially as a necessity. As the luxury of a private toilet was limited to the wealthier of society, many of the antique models we have here at Stiffkey Bathrooms are rather ornate and unusual. Browse our unique collection of Victorian cisterns and toilets with taps, basins and accessories to match.