The Music Room – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

To be honest with you, I can’t ever imagine using horse manure to light a property. However, that is exactly what William Larnach did at his house which is set in 14 hectares of grounds on Otago Peninsula. The Castle was built in 1871 by Australian banker and politician William Larnach for his family. To light the Castle, horse manure was piped underground from the stable to a purpose built chamber outside, directly behind the music room. Above this, Larnach built a privy for the use of family and staff so human manure could be added to the mix.

The brew of methane gas was then captured in a glass bubble and pumped up to the castle by a boy working a foot pump.