These houses were originally part of Gaythorne Street in the Great Horton area of Bradford. They were built by by William Casson, a butcher, the result of speculative building in 1872-73.

They were bought in 1987 dismantled and rebuilt here.

Gaythorne Row’s back-to-back houses are dedicated to different periods from 1875. They have been refurbished to show the social history of the district through the living conditions of local people.

Downstairs & Outside

Changes to bylaws in 1865 meant a passageway had to be built between houses 6ft. 6in. wide and 8ft. high and each house was to have its own privy ( toilet ) situated in the rear yard; These new houses became known as 'tunnel backs'

Privy is an old-fashioned term for an outdoor toilet, often known as an outhouse

In the 1870s, most folks did their business—as infrequently as possible—in two ways: in a hole in the ground, or in a chamber pot.

19th century terraced houses, especially those designed for working-class families, did not typically have a bathroom or toilet with a modern drainage system; instead these would have a privy using ash to deodorise human waste. These would have to be emptied periodically hence the passageway for access and ventilation.

Dig for Victory Garden

Taylor and Parsons were a notable Bradford iron and hardware company, being responsible for fireplaces and the gates of the Swan Arcade among other things

The cottages had been decorated in three styles – Victorian, the 1940s and the 1970s.