Friday Photo: Victorian Public Convenience, Livery Street/Lionel Street.

Today’s Friday Photo is a cast iron Victorian Urinal built in an Arch of Snowhill Railway Bridge, positioned on the corner of Livery Street and Lionel Street. The structure is grade II listed, but as seen in the photo, it has been boarded up. This means we can’t see the details of it, but I have looked up the listing and it is described as:

“Public conveniences built into Snowhill Railway Bridge arch. Late Victorian. Cast iron screens built into separate round headed arch. Leaves of screens separated by moulded colonette with finial. Three panels per leaf; small upper panel louvered for ventilation, topped with arrow-headed decoration above moulded cornice. Lower and middle panels decorated with elaborate classical design.”

There are other Victorian public conveniences still standing in Birmingham, a fine example being the one outside the Jewellery Quarter Train Station. Tracey Thorne also did a great blog a few years ago on the urinal in Balsall Heath