| JOURNAL 2021 |
| North Craven Heritage Trust |
The privy is set over a small stream running along the edge of Beck House land and leads into Austwick beck which flows under Austwick bridge. It is now in the grounds of the Old Coach House, formerly part of Beck House garden. There was also a privy associated with Suncroft.
Drawings have been made to show that entry was from Beck House garden and the convenience was a single-seater. A 19th century construction is supposed. Beck House has the initials TA and a date 1761 cut into a front door jamb. The house has had several stages of building from earlier times.
The privy is not a listed building, although other examples in England have been listed – mainly Victorian, some two and three-seaters.
Privy comes from the Latin ‘privatus’ meaning private. At Chilthorne Domer Manor in Somerset a six-seater still exists: built about 1720 it was in use until 1939. In the case of these multi-seaters the description ‘public convenience’ may be more apt! In the Dales there appear to be very few records of privies and many of these once essential structures have been demolished. This could be an interesting project to pursue.
