Address: 52 Clarence St, York, YO31 7EW (now Adara Tattoo Collective)
Description
A rhomboid-shaped mosaic ghost sign, adorned with white, red, yellow, and green tiles, proudly displays ‘Simpson Plumber’ in cursive text.
History
Back in the 1800s, indoor toilets were extremely rare, and it was even rarer for households to have their own water supply.
In the latter half of the 19th century, the burgeoning middle class scrambled to own their own plumbing.
This demand, combined with questionable sewage practices and water contamination, stirred public support for modernising York’s sewage system, largely unchanged since Roman times.
A refined late 1800s bathroom for the upper class
As indoor plumbing grew in popularity, the demand for plumbers increased. In York, this need was met by Charles Simpson, who opened a plumbing shop on Clarence Street in 1913.
Born in York in the late 1800s, Charles Simpson continued his work until his death in 1965. The shop remained registered to Miss J. E. Simpson through the 1960s and 1970s.
Today, the building hosts Adara Tattoo Collective but continues to symbolise the significant role plumbers like Simpson played in advancing York’s living standards.
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