You'd probably think that an empty and abandoned public toilet couldn't be turned into much. But as councils across the country have closed toilets to save money people are buying them and converting them into wonderful and quirky things.
From fancy restaurants to cafés and even a home, developers are bringing these tiny spaces back to life. Newport seems to be the place to be if you want to see former loos transformed into all sorts of things. After the Café at Ridgeway and the Phyllis Maude Performance Space came to prominence permission has been granted for even more brilliant ex-bogs.
1. Pysgoty
One of Wales' quirkiest and best restaurants seafood spot Pysgoty was built in a former public toilets. The former toilet block on the South Pier at Aberystwyth seats just 16 inside, and, ironically, doesn't contain its own toilet (customers have to pop along the prom to the block still open next door).
It is gorgeous to look at, brilliant to eat in, and a really clever use of space. It's run by Craig and Rhiannon Edwards, who also run the town's fishmongers Jonah's, and the seafood and shellfish they serve at the restaurant is all caught by local fishermen in Cardigan Bay.
2. The Café at Ridgeway
Opened in 2015 in what was a public toilet, the cafe in Newport serves food, coffee and alcoholic drinks. They run a whole host of events including workshops, yoga, and supper clubs.
3. Bloc Coffee
Since the splashpad opened families have been flocking to Cardiff's Victoria Park in their hundreds. In 2018 Bloc Coffee opened giving them another reason to visit.
The total space is just 90 square metres and during the building process co-owner Alex Parker said that it was all about making the most of the space. Selling plenty more than just coffee, its transformation from disused toilet block to café took six months.
4. The Phyllis Maud
The former public toilet block at Alexandra Road in Pill, Newport, has been transformed into a tiny arts space named the Phyllis Maud Performance Space. The building, which was previously a gentlemen's loo thought to have been built in the late 1800s, has undergone some serious renovation work.
Janet Martin purchased the toilet block during an auction in 2017 for £15,000. In total Janet said the whole thing, including the renovation work, labour, and the building itself, cost around £75,000 to fix and it's now thriving. You can read all about the building here.
5. A restaurant hub
A Grade II-listed toilet block at Barry Island is being turned into four different restaurants but a long saga lasting four years has continuously delayed developments. The building will be called Nell's Point and will be home to a Loungers café and bar.
The man behind Loungers, Alex Reilley, has said the former toilets will be at the heart of plans to "help ripple effect the whole regeneration of Barry and Barry Island specifically without losing its charm". His plan is to open the Barry Lounge alongside two other restaurants and a coffee shop.
6. A two-bed home called Ty Bach Twt
The toilet block was closed in 2012 as part of council cutbacks. It was sold off and a planning application made to turn the toilet block into a house. After an impressive renovation the detached property – aptly named Ty Bach Twt – went on sale for just shy of £100,000, reported the Daily Post. To read about more amazing home transformations across Wales why not sign up to our Amazing Homes newsletter here?
7. Café Castan
The former toilets at Llandaff Fields were turned into the hugely popular Café Castan, which opened in March 2012. Now the café serves breakfasts, lunches, and cakes and is known for its pizzas and is hugely popular.
8. A baguette shop
The old toilets in Castle Street in Tredegar were turned into a baguette shop years ago. The current occupier is Ollies Baguettes.
9. A convenience shop
The tiny public toilet in Hendrecafn Road in Penygraig, Rhondda went up before planners in 2016 for it to be turned into a convenience shop. It had previously been for sale with a guide price of £15,000. At the time the owners said the shop would have a “traditional-style” front and would involve “limited alterations” to the inside of the building.
Are anymore toilet transformations in the pipeline?
If you're interested in amazing toilet transformations then look no further than Newport. With two already brilliantly redeveloped another is definitely on the way while there are quiet plans for another. Ongoing plans for the former toilets at Maindee Triangle between Chepstow Road and Livingston Place received a boost this month after plans for additional seating were recommended for approval.
Plans to turn the toilets into a cafe were put forward by Maindee Unlimited, a local charity set up to protect community assets and transform Maindee into a sustainable community. You can read more about the plans here.
A former public toilet block which sold at auction for a staggering £75,000 – more than five times its £15,000 guide amount – could also end up becoming a café. The three adjoining cubicles, located next to The Victoria Inn pub in Newport 's Caerleon Road, went under the hammer last October, fetching nearly £20,000 more than the starting price for a two-bed terraced house in the Valleys.
