2016
ST4224 : Reredorter at Muchelney Abbey, Somerset
taken 8 years ago, near to Muchelney, Somerset, England
Reredorter at Muchelney Abbey, Somerset
Like many abbeys at the time of the dissolution (here it was 1538) many of the buildings were destroyed. Muchelney Abbey is unique in having a complete reredorter. A reredorter (also known as a necessarium) is a communal latrine found in Abbeys and Monasteries. A dorter was a communal sleeping area for the monks and shares a common root in dormitory. Rere was Anglo-French for backwards. The seats would have been at first floor level and the excreta would fall to the floor and be removed through these small arches. The spire of St Peter and St Paul is in the background.
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