Why do Victorian/Edwardian terraces commonly have sunken bathrooms?

S

senzubeansoup

Joined
9 May 2023
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
Hello everyone,

I'm in the early stages of planning a kitchen extension to the back of my Edwardian mid-terraced house, which will inevitably impact the bathroom above it. The floor of my bathroom is sunken - ie there are two steps down from the door to the bathroom floor.

In the course of my research, I have noticed that this is quite common for bathrooms in Edwardian/Victorian terraced houses. Does anyone know why this is? I understand that these old two up, two down houses had two-storey kitchen/bathroom extensions plugged onto the back of them later on (as is the case with mine), but I don't see why the floors weren't made level.

Thanks in advance!
 
senzubeansoup said:
Hello everyone,

I'm in the early stages of planning a kitchen extension to the back of my Edwardian mid-terraced house, which will inevitably impact the bathroom above it. The floor of my bathroom is sunken - ie there are two steps down from the door to the bathroom floor.

In the course of my research, I have noticed that this is quite common for bathrooms in Edwardian/Victorian terraced houses. Does anyone know why this is? I understand that these old two up, two down houses had two-storey kitchen/bathroom extensions plugged onto the back of them later on (as is the case with mine), but I don't see why the floors weren't made level.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Probably due to extra cost involved to bring level .
 
purely a guess
as you go back less weight smaller stepped foundations
also timber spans around half so thinner timbers with upstairs and roof further reducing because off progressive anounts [reductions]added
 
Harry Bloomfield said:
Did they even have bathrooms in Victorian/Edwardian days? Surely, they would be later additions?
Click to expand...
From his post.....

I understand that these old two up, two down houses had two-storey kitchen/bathroom extensions plugged onto the back of them later on (as is the case with mine)
 
If the OP means what I think he means, it may be due to the roof?
Loads of what were 2 up, 2 downs here have a kitchen that you step down into, and above it is the bathroom which is accessed only through the back bedroom.
You seemed to go down a couple of steps.

I think that it may be an easier way to tie in the roof to the original?
 
In some cases the back addition has a concrete or flagstone floor laid on the ground.
 
Tigercubrider said:
I think that it may be an easier way to tie in the roof to the original
Click to expand...
JohnD said:
In some cases the back addition has a concrete or flagstone floor laid on the ground.
Click to expand...
I think it's a combination of factors.
Stone flags in the scullery and a suspended floor for the living rooms, changing ground levels and the easiest way to tie in the roof, etc.

Nearly every rear extension roof in my terrace is a continuation from the main...
Screenshot_20240520-180707_Google Earth.jpg
 
Good question. My outrigger kitchen/bathroom (1889) was level, quarry tiles on earth with adjacent rooms suspended timber. My plot was level but others on the street where the plots sloped had steps down.
 
Would they make a bathroom lower than the next room lower to avoid water flowing through the house if there's any water spill from a bath or sink, or even a leak?
 
Odds said:
Would they make a bathroom lower than the next room lower to avoid water flowing through the house if there's any water spill from a bath or sink, or even a leak?
Click to expand...
Although there wouldn't originally have been a 'bathroom' in a small Victorian terrace, you reminded me that there was a huge impact to the design of terraces due to the Public health act 1875 and the building act 1878.
This led to sanitary improvements, access to a Privy/WC (inside or out), running water, window sizes for ventilation etc, etc.
The terraces that were built after this time were known as "byelaw terraces".
This is worth a read...

en.m.wikipedia.org

Byelaw terraced house - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

So as with today's house builders, the design of the typical Victorian terrace, may be purely down to conforming to regulations at least cost to themselves!
 
Last edited:
...and with the change in Victorian house design, of having stairs perpendicular to the street; the half landing would make a very low ceiling in my kitchen if it wasn't sunken! :)

20240521_094407.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top