Bristol 'rare' Victorian urinal listed by English Heritage

A rare Victorian public urinal has been listed by English Heritage for its "special historical interest".

The Grade II public convenience, at the top of Whiteladies Road, in Clifton, is still in use and was built by Glasgow-based W.MacFarlane in the 1880s.

English Heritage said these "often humble structures" were "important to the streetscene of our cities".

Bristol City Council, which owns the cast-iron urinal, said it "remained very well used and appreciated".

An English Heritage spokesman said: "Historic elements of the public realm, including street furniture and public facilities, are particularly vulnerable to damage, alteration and removal and where they survive well, they will in some cases be given serious consideration for designation."

He said the urinal was a "relatively rare surviving example of a once common type of building" and represented the "civic aspirations of the authorities in the Bristol suburbs in the late Victorian period".

"In times of austerity, facilities and structures such as this set of urinals are under increasing threat, and where there are found to be deserving of protection English Heritage will recommend to the Secretary of State that they be added to the National Heritage List for England," he said.

Maggie Shapland, from the Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society said: "We are really glad it makes it harder to destroy our heritage by raising awareness and we are highly delighted to keep part of our historic streetscape."

Two other similar structures were listed in Bristol in 1977 on Horfield Common and Mina Road Park.