Have you ever wondered what life was like, to be a servant in a country house during the 1930s?

If you have watched ‘Gosford Park’ or ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ then you might have some idea. However, if you go along to Blickling Hall in Norfolk this year, you will be able to hear and see what it was really like.

© NT/Fisheye Images

As part of an exciting new project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the National Trust has re-displayed the kitchen and service areas in the basement of this splendid Jacobean house, as they might have been in the years running up to the outbreak of the Second World War.

Life at Blickling Hall in the 1930s was a hub of activity and the servants played an important role in providing the hospitality to some high profile guests and bore witness to a multitude of important happenings.

Many of these stories were captured back in the 1980s when a number of former staff were contacted and interviewed. It is these recordings that have been turned into audio installations which form the basis of a new ‘below-stairs’ interpretation.

It is hoped that they will enhance the visitor experience, helping to bring the past to life and give visitors a feel for what Blickling Hall was like, some 70 years ago.

© NT/Fisheye Images

In addition to the archived oral history recordings, the search began last year for more stories and people from around Norfolk and across the world have been in touch, recording their memories for future generations to listen to. From Lord Lothian’s former Cook Florence Wadlow, to those that lived on the estate, including RAF service personnel that were based at the Hall during the war – in total over 30 people have recorded their stories.

So, make sure you visit Blickling Hall this year and discover what life was really like below stairs in a country house in the 1930s and hear stories by the people who lived and worked there. Blickling Hall is open Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm.