The
Kitchen extends along the rear of the house, behind the living area. It may
be entered from the central staircase landing, or from the Dining Room, via
a narrow servery. When the house was built, Patrick Gwynne designed the Kitchen
in three sections with partition walls, one segment for the cook, the others
for the maids, because, he said, they used to argue about their own territory
in the old house. Gwynne changed most of the original kitchen fixtures and
fittings, mainly between the late 1950s and early 1970s, making it better suited
for a bachelor living and cooking on his own. A few of the fitments are original,
sometimes just moved about. But the overall impression, with its rich brown
painted and vinyl surfaces, is a transformation from the original.
The island work counter in the centre of the kitchen, with a brown tiled
surface and pull-out cutting boards, was a favourite design of Gwynne’s,
which he repeated in many of the houses he created. The round kitchen trolley
on the far side is also by Gwynne.
