Anti-urination devices in Norwich

Large tapering anti-urination device attached to St Gregory's Church. As with many anti-urination devices attached to churches, this was built in flint to blend in with existing architecture.

Anti-urination devices were a form of hostile architecture installed in Norwich and the surrounding area in the late 19th century to discourage public urination. The overcrowded and narrow streets of the city centre and a lack of public toilets led to men urinating against the side of buildings, but the installation of new public urinals to address the issue was delayed by disputes over where they were to be sited. Anti-urination devices were built in places which suffered particular problems with public urination, and were intended to discourage men from urinating at that spot. Most were built of sloped or curved stone, flint or concrete, and were shaped such that anyone attempting to urinate against the wall would need to stand well away from the wall in public view, hopefully discouraging them from doing so. The slope of the structure meant that should anyone still attempt to urinate against it, the stream of urine would be deflected back onto their feet and legs. A few instead consisted of a spiked metal bar positioned across a corner at the height of a typical man's groin, and were intended to dissuade men from approaching the corner with their genitals exposed.

Following improved public toilet provision from the 1890s onwards, the problems caused by the lack of urinals became less of an issue, and anti-urination devices ceased to be installed. Although most metal examples were removed during the Second World War, and many others have been demolished in subsequent years, around 30 remain in place in central Norwich with further surviving examples in other parts of East Anglia.

Background

Public urination caused damage and staining to the structure of Norwich's historic buildings.

Norwich, the county town of Norfolk, was since the Anglo-Saxon era one of England's major trading cities. By the early 14th century Norwich was considered the second city of England after London, and was one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the country; the relaxation of trade restrictions in the 17th century led to the city becoming a fashionable shopping destination. The opening of Norwich railway station in 1844 led to a larger increase in the numbers of people visiting the city and in particular Norwich Market and the shops in the surrounding area. With much of the land on and around the marketplace privately owned or owned by the city's many churches, the 19th century authorities were unable to rationalise or redesign the layout of the area to address the problems caused by crowding.

Surviving 19th-century "Committ no Nuisance" sign in central Norwich.

Installation

Ethelbert Gate

St George's Church

Two of the earliest documented anti-urination devices, at St Ethelbert's Gate and St George's Church, Tombland. Both were in place by the time of the 1885 Ordnance Survey.

Although some anti-urination devices, particularly early examples, formed a smooth sloping surface, the most common design was that of a tapered cross-section of a cone, set into the corner of a building. This style is particularly often found on churches, where the sharp angles between external buttresses and the church walls created numerous dimly-lit corners, ideal for urination.

A surviving metal anti-urination device, attached to a former bank in Bedford Street, Norwich.

Improved public toilet provision

The installation of public toilets meant less need for anti-urination devices. Early urinals such as that built in 1902 outside St. Andrew's Hall were built to blend in with existing civic architecture; later examples such as the free-standing "butterfly" urinals in Prince of Wales Road have a more functional appearance.

Despite public objections, from the 1890s onwards public toilets became more common in central Norwich, leading to public urination ceasing to be a major issue. Built to elaborate designs to assuage public concerns about their intrusiveness, many are architecturally noteworthy, and one 1919 public urinal in St. Crispin's Road is a listed building in its own right.

In 2005 there was a sharp increase in the problem of people urinating through letter boxes in the city centre, particularly in the vicinity of Prince of Wales Road, while there have been sustained issues with people urinating in gardens in the area.

References

Bibliography

• Adderson, Richard; Kenworthy, Graham (1998). Branch Lines Around Cromer. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-901706-26-5. Search this book on
• Kelly, John (2006). The Great Mortality. London: Harper Perennial. ISBN 0-00-715070-9. Search this book on
• Priestley, Ursula (1987). The Great Market. Norwich: Centre of East Anglian Studies, University of East Anglia. ISBN 0-906219-25-6. Search this book on

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