The original kitchen was situated in the south west pavilion, connected to the main house by a curved corridor.

It was built in the 1740s and continued to be used as a kitchen until the Second World War, when the house was requisitioned by the Royal Artillery.

The kitchen, in its empty state, was opened for the first time in 2001 and restoration is planned over a two to three year period.

As well as grand items for the State Rooms, Chippendale provided many other simple pieces of furniture for the domestic offices and staff quarters, including a 'large deal table for the Laundry', 'very large Wainscot Mangle', '3 dozen of Meat hooks with deal Battins' and '4 post servants bedstead for the Cook's Room'.

The original Servants Hall is now being used as an education room, for groups of school children. It also contains copies of interesting papers and photographs from the Nostell archive, including this extract from the cook's meat book of 1887. It tells us that the family employed 12 male and 21 female servants and consumed 2717lbs of meat in one month.

©National Trust
This chopping block is thought to be the 'Large strong Elm Choppingblock for the Kitchen' supplied by Thomas Chippendale in December 1768 for 10 shillings.