 The mediaeval term was "necessarium" (place of necessity).It was normally attached to the south end or the east side of the monks' dormitory or "dorter" on the east of the main cloister, that is, the end away from the church, with seats arranged on the first floor of the building allowing direct access from the dormitory.Waste fell down chutes or between walls (as far as ) and was usually carried away by a stream, river or conduit; availability of a suitable stream was often a factor in siting a monastery, and some monasteries have unusual ground plans to enable facilities such as the reredorter to have access to the water.