During excavations in the basement of the Courtauld Gallery, as part of transformative building work ahead of its reopening in 2021, we were amazed to unearth the remains of a medieval cesspit containing an array of fascinating finds. This remarkable discovery is helping to shed further light on Chester Inn, a poorly-documented 15th century residence belonging to the bishopric of Coventry, Lichfield and Chester which once stood where Somerset House does today.

The location of the chalk-lined cesspit, which measures almost 15 feet deep, suggests it could have been used by both visitors and residents of the household as they passed through the courtyard of the Chester Inn. Fascinatingly, the cesspit appears to have been used in a variety of ways for over 400 years; by the 17th century it had been converted to a cellar and, following this, several layers of brick flooring were added, with the last layer dating to the 18th century. A latrine was added in the corner of this layer – an amusing twist, especially considering that this very spot will eventually be the location of the new lavatories at the Courtauld Gallery. This means that for almost half a century there has been always been a toilet of sorts in the same place!