Public toilets in the Town Park

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single-storey/ two-bay toilet block and abutting shelter in public park on SW side of Queen Street.

1. Toilet block

Pyramidal natural slate roof with cylindrical ventilation cowl to apex. Painted and lined cement-render walls with advanced base course, and moulded frieze course, plain frieze and moulded cornice under a plain blocking course.

The principal elevation faces NE to street and is symmetrical. Entrance doors at left and right into gents and ladies toilets respectively. Modern four-panel doors with security glazed fanlight, are set within semi-circular headed openings embellished with moulded architraves and keyblocks connecting to the frieze course above. Between the doors are two Diocletian timber windows over a common cill; they are embellished with architraves and keyblocks as those to doors. The middle pane in each window opens. A down pipe runs down between them.

Left elevation has a similar pair of windows to centre. Windows are security glazed. The left corner is recessed underneath the frieze and contains a pair of 1/1 fixed timber windows. This wall continues left as the rear elevation of the abutting shelter.

The rear elevation is abutted to middle and right by the shelter. The exposed left section has a modern painted timber door. A modern shallow concrete ramp (with metal handrail) leads thereto.

The right elevation contains two windows to centre as those at front. The wall insteps at right under the frieze and contains a single Diocletian window.

2. Shelter

A slightly lower one-storey/ two-bay shelter abuts the rear wall of the toilet block. It has a flat two-stage roof, raised over the bay abutting the toilets and with a plain blocking course to front and side. Painted smooth cement render wall with advanced moulded basecourse in a contrasting colour.

The principal elevation faces N to park. The left bay, is narrower than the right bay, and contains a staff toilet. It has a modern door (with transom) at left and a 3x4-paned timber window at right. The right bay contains the public shelter. The facade is divided into five sections by six pilasters, each with a moulded base, dado and capital. The second and fourth divisions (one door width) open into the interior; the middle (third) division has a modern security glazed window to its upper section. The pilasters support a triglyph frieze under a projecting mutuled cornice under the plain blocking course. A modern steel security gate has been mounted to the front of the middle three divisions.

The left elevation is abutted by the toilet block.

The rear elevation, which is a continuation of the recessed section of the left elevation of the toilet block, had two small rectangular ventilation openings at left, an infilled window opening to centre, and a pair of 1/1 top-hung timber windows at right. Plastic gutter with down pipe at right. No frieze or blocking course.

Right elevation has a pilaster to middle and one at each end, all with frieze and blocking course as front facade. A moulded dado rail runs between the left and middle pilaster. Semicircular headed door (with stucco keyblock) at right.

Historical information

The council spent £1,500 in 1928 constructing these toilets and another block in the town square (HB16/11/040).

Secondary sources:

1. Liam Bradley, ‘Warrenpoint origins and developments’ (1998), p.109.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This small utilitarian building retains much of its original character and is one of a number of public buildings within this attractive early 20thC park. See also bandstand (HB16/12/002), and pavilion (HB16/12/030).