High Level Cistern Toilet: the Victorian Toilet Revisited
Few bathroom pieces carry as much history as the high level cistern toilet. The cistern mounted high on the wall, the slim flush pipe running down to the pan, the glazed china shaped almost like furniture: this is the silhouette of the Victorian and Edwardian bathroom, the room that first turned washing into a pleasure rather than a necessity. In period terraces, country houses and boutique hotels across Britain and Europe, it is once again the piece that gives a bathroom its character.
Casa Padrino, an international supplier of luxury furniture and bathroom fittings, offers a complete family of these designs: high level models in black, in white with vintage gold or in white with oak, a mid level version with a total height of 142 cm, close coupled models in white, black and cream, and a line of Art Nouveau toilets and a matching bidet made in Italy. All of them are presented in our toilets collection.
Vitreous china, chrome plated brass and a cistern in white with vintage gold, 225 cm in total height. Pictured: Casa Padrino luxury Art Nouveau toilet with hanging cistern white / vintage gold 54.5 x H. 225 cm - Bathroom Furniture - Luxury Quality
A short history of the high level cistern
The flushing water closet as we know it took shape in Georgian Britain. In 1775 the Scottish watchmaker Alexander Cumming patented a design with a bent outlet pipe that held water and kept odours back. Yet the lavatory only spread widely in the Victorian era, when London and the great industrial cities gained piped water and proper sewers after the public health reforms of the mid nineteenth century.
Mounting the cistern high on the wall was a matter of physics rather than taste. Mains pressure was weak and irregular, so engineers relied on gravity: the higher the cistern, the more force the water gained as it fell through the vertical flush pipe into the pan. The flush was released by a pull chain, often finished with a ceramic or wooden handle, and the cistern sat on cast iron brackets that soon became decorative objects in their own right.
By the late Victorian period, manufacturers embossed pans with relief patterns and printed them with floral designs. Only in the twentieth century did the cistern move down the wall, first to mid level, then onto the pan as a close coupled unit, and finally out of sight behind tiles.
The reason the Victorian toilet has returned is simple. A cistern high on the wall draws the eye upwards, celebrates the ceiling height of a period property and turns a purely functional room into an interior.
High level, mid level or close coupled
Traditional toilets come in three basic forms, defined by the height at which the cistern is mounted. Casa Padrino offers all three.
- High level, 225 to 240 cm: the toilet with hanging cistern in black (52 x 67 x H. 238 cm), the model in white with vintage gold (width 54.5 cm, H. 225 cm) and two models with a lacquered aluminium cistern, in white with oak or entirely in white (430 x 670 x 2400 mm).
- Mid level, 142 cm: the Art Nouveau toilet with hanging cistern, 51 x 73 x H. 142 cm, available in white, black or cream.
- Close coupled: the Art Nouveau toilet with cistern, 52 x 73 x H. 78 cm, in white, black or cream, and the Italian Art Nouveau toilets, 84 cm high, in white with gold, black with gold, white with black and white with silver.
The high level design is the original and the most striking. It needs height, but rewards it with a silhouette that recalls the bathrooms of English country houses and Edwardian mansion flats.
The mid level design is often the most practical choice. At 142 cm the cistern sits at roughly chest height and the flush pipe remains visible, so the period character is preserved. It also fits beneath a sloping ceiling.
The close coupled form is the one most people remember from their grandparents' homes. It is compact and fits almost anywhere, and the Italian models with gold or silver bases show how much presence it can still have.
The mid level option: cistern on brackets, visible flush pipe, 142 cm in total height, in white, black or cream. Pictured: Casa Padrino luxury Art Nouveau toilet with hanging cistern 51 x 73 x H. 142 cm - Different Colors - Bathroom Furniture - Luxury Quality
Ceiling height and planning a high level cistern toilet
The first question is always the height of the room. The black model measures 238 cm, the white and vintage gold model 225 cm, and the two models with aluminium cistern between 232 and 240 cm in total height. A little space should remain above the cistern so the lid can be lifted for maintenance. In a Victorian or Edwardian house with ceilings of 2.8 to 3.5 metres this is rarely a concern. In a modern flat with 2.4 or 2.5 metres it becomes tight, and the 142 cm mid level version is the safer choice.
The wall matters as much as the ceiling. The cistern is fixed to it and must be held securely, so a stud wall needs reinforcement behind the boarding. The supply pipe runs up to the cistern while the waste stays at floor level behind the pan, and both are best agreed with your plumber at an early stage of the renovation.
Where a depth is given, the high and mid level models measure 67 to 73 cm from the wall, and they are between 43 and 54.5 cm wide, which suits narrow cloakrooms well.
On the vitreous china models with hanging cistern, the flush is operated by a ceramic lever on the right. The product details specify a dual flush: lever up for 3 litres, lever down for 6 litres.
Materials and colours: china, brass, gold, black and oak
The toilets with hanging cistern and the 78 cm close coupled model are made of vitreous china, with chrome plated brass and ceramic components. Vitreous china is fired to a dense, smooth body that resists dirt and is easy to care for and durable.
Each finish has its own mood. Black is the dramatic choice: pan and cistern in deep black against chrome plated brass look almost graphic against white metro tiles or pale marble. White with vintage gold is the celebratory version, at home with gold taps, gilt mirrors and a white roll top bath. Cream is softer and sits well with warm paint colours, timber and aged brass.
The two models with a lacquered aluminium cistern are particularly appealing. The white and oak version combines ceramic, oak and a black lacquered cistern on chrome plated brass brackets, a combination that feels right in a country house bathroom. The all white model with white lacquered cistern is quieter and suits light, calm rooms. Both can be fitted at a total height between 232 and 240 cm.
Ceramic, oak and a black lacquered aluminium cistern on chrome plated brass brackets. Pictured: Casa Padrino Luxury Art Nouveau Toilet High-Level, White / Oak, Aluminum Cistern Black Lacquered, 430 x 670 x 2400 mm
For a more opulent look, the Italian models form a line of their own. The Art Nouveau toilets with a height of 84 cm are made of ceramic in Italy and come in four colourways: white with gold, black with gold, white with black and white with silver. Other colours are available on request through our customer service. Two further luxury toilets made in Italy, in high gloss white or high gloss black with gold, measure 42 x 58 x H. 39 cm and suit bathrooms where the toilet should read as a sculptural piece.
Toilet and bidet as a pair
In Italy and France the bidet has been part of the bathroom for generations, and it is finding its way back into British homes and hotels. When planning a Victorian toilet, it is worth thinking about the bidet from the outset. Placed side by side, the two create symmetry and calm.
Casa Padrino offers a luxury Art Nouveau bidet in white with gold, made in Italy from ceramic and measuring 36 x 56 x H. 38.5 cm. It is supplied without taps, so the mixer can be chosen freely, for example a traditional basin tap in gold. The bidet is also available in other colours on request.
In form and colour it matches the white and gold Art Nouveau toilet from the same Italian line, and the gold can be picked up again in the taps and accessories.
Bidet in white with gold, made in Italy, supplied without taps. Pictured: Casa Padrino Luxury Art Nouveau Bidet White / Gold - Bathroom Accessories - Made in Italy
Cloakrooms, period homes, hotels and restaurants
The place where a high level cistern toilet makes the greatest impression is often the smallest room in the house: the downstairs cloakroom. A cistern high on the wall, a pedestal basin and a tap with cross handles turn a passing space into one that guests remember.
Typical settings for a high level cistern toilet include:
- Victorian and Edwardian townhouses and mansion flats with tall ceilings
- Cloakrooms in country houses, rectories and manor houses
- Boutique hotels, grand hotels and historic buildings with guest rooms
- Restaurants, bars and cafés with a Belle Époque or gentlemen's club interior
- Holiday cottages and chalets with a special bathroom
In a period property the high level cistern is almost a homecoming. Many Victorian houses originally had exactly this installation, which disappeared during later modernisations. The models of 225 to 240 cm look natural alongside cornicing and sash windows.
In hotels and hospitality, durability matters as much as style. Vitreous china and chrome plated brass are easy to care for and durable, a real argument in busy washrooms.
Pairing with basin, taps and bath
A Victorian toilet only reaches its full effect as part of an ensemble. The basin should speak the same language: a pedestal basin or a washstand on legs, in china or ceramic, in the same colour as the toilet. You will find a selection among our washbasins and washstands and on our page about the luxury washbasin.
The taps tie everything together. With chrome plated brass on the toilet, silver or chrome taps are the natural partner. With the white and vintage gold model or the Italian pieces with gold, choose gold taps with cross handles or levers with porcelain inserts from our luxury taps.
The centrepiece of a traditional bathroom is usually the roll top bath on claw feet, and it belongs to the same era as the high level cistern. Our pages on the Victorian bathtub and on freestanding bath taps show more, while traditional radiators add warmth in the same style. How all these elements come together is shown in our overview of the Victorian bathroom.
Metro tiles, chequerboard floors and bathroom accessories complete the picture.
Why Casa Padrino
Casa Padrino is an international supplier of luxury furniture, baroque furniture and exclusive bathroom fittings. For many years we have furnished private homes, villas, hotels, restaurants and castles at home and abroad, often in collaboration with architects and interior designers. Our bathroom range extends from freestanding baths through washstands and taps to the high level cistern toilet.
You will find every element of a traditional bathroom with us, matched in style and colour. For projects with several bathrooms we advise on selection and variants, and we deliver internationally.
Anyone planning a bathroom with history will find the pieces it needs at Casa Padrino, along with people who know such projects well. Discover the whole world of Casa Padrino at www.casa-padrino.de/en.
Our bathroom series at a glance
- Victorian bathroom
- Traditional radiators
- Designer radiators
- Luxury towel warmer
- Freestanding bath taps
- Victorian bathtub
- Freestanding bathtub
- Gold bathtub
- Luxury washbasin
- Luxury vanity unit
Frequently asked questions about the high level cistern toilet
What is a high level cistern toilet?
It is a toilet whose cistern is mounted high on the wall and connected to the pan by a visible flush pipe. The design dates from the Victorian era, when gravity was used to give the flush its force. Casa Padrino offers high level, mid level and close coupled versions.
How tall is a high level cistern toilet?
That depends on the model. The black toilet with hanging cistern measures 238 cm, the white and vintage gold model 225 cm, and the two models with aluminium cistern between 232 and 240 cm. The mid level version is 142 cm high.
What ceiling height do I need?
The room should be taller than the toilet so that there is space above the cistern for maintenance. Ceilings of 2.8 metres or more, typical of Victorian houses, take any of the models. With around 2.5 metres, the 142 cm mid level version or a close coupled model is usually the better choice. Measure carefully and agree the height with your plumber before ordering.
What are the toilets made of?
The toilets with hanging cistern and the 78 cm model are made of vitreous china, chrome plated brass and ceramic. On the high level models with aluminium cistern, the pan is ceramic, the cistern is lacquered aluminium and the brackets are chrome plated brass. The Italian Art Nouveau toilets are made of ceramic.
How is the toilet flushed?
On the vitreous china toilets with hanging cistern, a ceramic lever on the right releases the flush. According to the product details, lever up gives 3 litres and lever down 6 litres.
Which colours are available for a Victorian toilet?
Depending on the model: black, white, cream, white with vintage gold or white with oak. The Italian models come in white with gold, black with gold, white with black and white with silver, with other colours on request. Two further Italian luxury toilets are available in high gloss white or high gloss black with gold.
Is there a matching bidet?
Yes. The luxury Art Nouveau bidet in white with gold, made in Italy, measures 36 x 56 x H. 38.5 cm and matches the Italian toilet line. It is supplied without taps, so you can choose a mixer to suit your basin and bath.
Does a high level cistern work in a small cloakroom?
Yes, often particularly well. The high and mid level models are between 43 and 54.5 cm wide and need little wall space. Because the cistern sits up high, more wall remains free at eye level, and the upward line makes a small room feel taller.
Can a traditional toilet suit a contemporary bathroom?
Certainly. A black high level toilet creates a deliberate contrast in a clean, modern bathroom. One or two further elements, such as a tap with cross handles, should pick up the style.
Does Casa Padrino deliver internationally?
Yes. Casa Padrino delivers internationally and furnishes bathrooms in private homes, hotels and restaurants in many countries.
