Waste Meets Architecture
Medieval castles are remembered for towers, walls, and moats—but they also contained one of the most unusual architectural features of their age: turret toilets.
Known as “garderobes,” these small rooms projected from the castle walls, with chutes that allowed waste to fall directly outside. Far from an afterthought, these structures shaped both daily life and the defensive strategies of castles.
The Rise of the Garderobe
During the 11th-century castle-building boom, garderobes appeared as the first toilets designed into stone architecture. They were typically located in turrets, projecting outward from the wall in narrow bays. Inside was a stone or wooden seat with a hole, leading to a vertical shaft that emptied below.
Some shafts discharged into cesspits, others into moats, and some directly onto the ground. The word “garderobe” itself derives from “to guard one’s robes,” since clothing was often stored inside; the ammonia rising from waste was believed to kill fleas.
Weak Points and Hidden Dangers
Though essential, turret toilets created structural vulnerabilities. The vertical shafts cut through castle walls, forming weak spots that attackers could exploit. Chroniclers noted that invading soldiers sometimes attempted to climb these shafts to gain entry. At the same time, the danger could run the other way: attackers scaling the walls beneath a garderobe risked being drenched with waste.
Castles developed varied adaptations, including spiral shafts or entire towers dedicated to waste disposal. Langley Castle in Northumberland, for example, has stepped garderobe shafts, illustrating how seriously medieval builders treated this problem.
Sanitation and Innovation
While some castles relied on gravity alone, others advanced their sanitation systems. The Christchurch monastery in Canterbury, completed in 1167, featured an intricate arrangement of channels to separate rainwater, drainage, and waste.
This medieval plumbing network demonstrated that turret toilets were not simply crude conveniences but part of a broader architectural approach to hygiene. Over time, garderobes multiplied in number, with large castles boasting dozens of turret toilets to serve residents, soldiers, and guests.
From Necessity to Obscurity
With the invention of the flush toilet in 1596 and its popularization after 1851, garderobes became obsolete. Many castle ruins still preserve their distinctive protruding bays, reminders of how sanitation once shaped fortifications.
Today, turret toilets are among the most identifiable features of medieval castles, offering a glimpse into how engineers balanced defense, hygiene, and everyday comfort in stone fortresses.
Look for small stone bays jutting from castle walls: turret toilets, or garderobes.
Built to route waste outside, they appear across Europe and figure in daily routines and siege realities, from vertical chutes to risky footing for climbers beneath…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/3dBzbUxyCL
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) August 18, 2025