Instead of a bath tub or shower washbasin's or a cast iron pot were used. The water had to be pumped from the water pump in the front garden. Many of the Cornish houses were built without a plan for a bathroom. Water was drawn from an underground tank and heated on the kitchen fire. The toilet/lavatory used were earth closets consisting of a plain wooden toilet seat and a long drop. Ashes from the house would have been poured tipped into the pit and squares of newspaper used instead of toilet paper. As the family grew it was common to extend the house. This can be seen because of the uneven roof extensions as the additional rooms were added on to the cottages