It’s a curio left over from another world. The Isle of Dogs has seen humongous change over the last thirty or forty years but this old public convenience has somehow survived the whirlwind of change, clinging on like a barnacle on an old boat. And, in return, people have become attached to it.
Built in 1925 and made of concrete, the toilets have been closed and under threat of re-development for years. The Islanders have tried to get the toilets listed – and so protected from demolition – but although unusual looking and of local interest they do not match the criteria and the attempt failed.
The latest outlook for the loos is favorable. They have been given a reprieve by the land owners, leaving it to the Islanders to raise money to refurbish them. You can’t spend a penny here, yet, but one day soon, hopefully.
This blog about the Isle of Dogs gives the definitive story of the Manchester Road toilets.
Front on, the concrete lav on Manchester Road
The toilet sits next to a row of houses