Toilet block built in grounds of St Oswald’s church, Backford.

Apr 9 2009 by Laurie Stocks-Moore, Chester Chronicle

Toilet block built in grounds of St Oswald’s church, Backford.

A TOILET block has been sandwiched between gravestones in the grounds of a church – with timber from Dracula’s home town.

St Oswald’s Church in Backford, has had the timber-framed pavillion installed so that parishioners can visit the loo on consecrated ground before and after services.

The hut houses a unisex and a disabled loo, baby changing facilities and a storeroom. Builders were not permitted to dig because of the risk that bones would be unearthed.

Church warden Gerald Mallinson said: “We call it a pavilion rather than a shed and that’s how we got it through all the authorities.

“There was a need for toilets as we get a lot of visitors. We’ve had a portaloo on the site for about three years.”

The block was erected this week outside the 14th century Grade II listed church with timber from Transylvania, Romania.