Step outside with Plankbridge for the return of the outdoor privy at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

With a shower, wash basin and flushable toilet, the new Plankbridge Privy, which will launch at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, brings a contemporary outdoor lavatory and washroom to the garden. Inspired by the Victorian privy, a common feature of many gardens right up until the 1950s, the Dorset-based master hutmaker has designed the Plankbridge Privy to be in keeping with its classic Victorian style shepherd’s hut, with a curved corrugated roof and iron clad exterior. 

A far cry from the dark, cold and sometimes precarious conditions of the original privy, this elegant adaptation has been created to sit alongside existing shepherd’s huts, which are used as home offices, spare bedrooms or boltholes, helping to extend the use of the garden throughout the year. The Plankbridge Privy will also work well as a standalone room by an outdoor swimming pool or a well-appointed facility for garden and estate workers, outdoor party venues and glamping spots.

The exterior is painted black, harking back to a time when privies were painted with a tar-based finish known as blackjack, and the interior is painted in Farrow and Ball’s Salon Drab, a new colour for 2016, based on a classic 19th century tone. The Plankbridge Privy is mounted on iron wheels and there is the option to sit it on a Plankbridge chassis to help move it around more easily. For those looking for a more permanent structure, the Privy can be lowered onto a level base and connected to the mains.

Richard Lee, co-owner and founder of Plankbridge, explains;

“We’ve read so many stories about the old Victorian privies while developing this new product and it’s clear that people have a great deal of affection for the little buildings that they once had to dash out to when nature called. While the traditional privy was moved inside many years ago, the Plankbridge Privy is designed to allow people to extend their living space into the garden even more, so RHS Chelsea Flower Show seems like the perfect place to unveil it.”

A standard Plankbridge Privy, which measures two metres square with a high level flushing toilet, Belfast sink and electric shower, would cost £24,746 including VAT. Bespoke designs can also be quoted for.

The Plankbridge Privy will be on Tradestand AR723 from Tuesday 24 – Saturday 28 May 2016.

For more information about Plankbridge Hutmakers visit www.plankbridge.com.