Victorian public toilet turned into boutique hotel

Molly Pipe & Chris WoodBBC News
The gentlemen's toilets were originally built in 1895, before closing in 2008 over safety concerns

A Victorian public toilet closed for 17 years has reopened as a boutique hotel.

The Netty on St Giles' in Oxford has two suites, located down a flight of stairs, in the middle of a busy road.

The gentlemen's toilets were originally built in 1895, before closing in 2008 over safety concerns.

The site was bought by Oxford business owner Gwyn Harries-Jones, but successive development plans were never proceeded with, and it sat unused for 11 years before work on the hotel began.

News imageThe Netty A made up bed in a room with cream walls and a green ceiling.The Netty
The toilets were unused for 17 years as various development plans were proposed and abandoned

It has kept a few original features, like the floor tiles, and is named after an old Geordie term for an outhouse.

Hotel manager Ana Pinheiro said: "I would say it's one of the strangest places in Oxford to stay.

"We know we are not for everyone, but it is a very nice experience if you're willing."

News imageA photo of steps leading down from street level, with a plaque on the ground reading "The Netty - Oxford".
Netty is an old Geordie term for a toilet

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