Get a taste of life below stairs

Have you ever imagined what life would have been like for a servant in a great country house? Many of the places in our care are full of sculleries, butlers’ pantries, servants’ bedrooms and other ‘downstairs’ rooms to explore. Here are a few of the best places to find them.

East of England
Servants in the basement at Ickworth, Suffolk

Explore the servants' quarters 

When we think of grand country houses it’s easy to imagine the glamorous lives of the families who lived in them, but there was often plenty of drama and excitement below stairs as well. Take a wander around the surviving servants quarters at places like Ickworth, Wimpole and Blickling, and you’ll find a treasure trove of stories that provide a fascinating glimpse into lives spent ‘in service’.

Wales

Volunteer costumed interpreter at Penrhyn Castle

Penrhyn Castle, Gwynedd 

As well as opulent interiors, Penrhyn also has a fascinating warren of servants’ rooms to explore. Discover special areas for brushing hats, cleaning shoes and lighting lamps as well as the butler’s pantry, sculleries, kitchens and household offices.

A little girl trying on period costume at Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion

Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion 

This rare example of an 18th-century Welsh gentry estate is still home to a complete service courtyard, largely unaltered from its original form. Explore the dairy, salting house, brewhouse and laundry, or meet the animals at the working farm.

Children cooking in the kitchens at Erdigg, Clwyd

Erddig, Wrexham 

Erddig has over 250 years of ‘upstairs, downstairs’ history. The Yorke family had a close relationship with their servants and commissioned portraits of them, which you can still see today. You can also tour the kitchen, still room and bakehouse.

North

The Butler's Pantry at Dunham Massey, Cheshire

Dunham Massey, Cheshire 

Dunham Massey's owners experienced both fortune and scandal, but behind the scenes there was a host of servants that kept this magnificent estate alive. Discover their stories as you tour the laundry, butler’s pantry, kitchens and sculleries.

The kitchen at Cragside, Northumberland

Cragside, Northumberland 

Discover the world of Victorian inventor Lord Armstrong. Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectric power, and Armstrong also created labour-saving gadgets for his servants, including early versions of a gas stove and dishwasher.

Midlands
A volunteer and children in the Laundry at Berrington Hall, Herefordshire

Berrington Hall, Herefordshire 

This was the Rodney family home for nearly a century before it was gambled away and acquired by the Cawley family. Explore the butler’s pantry, footman’s room and laundry room, not to mention the beautifully decorated dairy. On a tour of the rooms, you can try out tools and discover how servants moved around the house unseen by the family and guests.

South West

Food being prepared on the kitchen table at Lanhydrock, Cornwall

Lanhydrock, Cornwall 

Lanhydrock was home to generations of the Robartes, giving it the feel of a wealthy but unpretentious family home. Most of the current house dates from the 1880s, complete with a plethora of downstairs kitchens, larders and sculleries as well as the nanny’s bedroom.

The kitchen at Castle Drogo, Devon, with the circular beechwood table designed by the architect of the house, Edwin Lutyens

Castle Drogo, Devon 

Drogo was the last castle to be built in England, but dating from the 1900s it was always intended to be a comfortable family home rather than a fortification. The servants’ quarters include larders, sculleries, and pantries, all finished with a rare attention to detail.

South East

The Lamp Room in the basement at Uppark, West Sussex

Uppark, West Sussex 

Uppark has a wealth of intriguing history, from high-society parties, to the dairymaid who married her master. Remarkably, the basement largely escaped Uppark’s devastating fire in 1989, so you can explore old wine cellars and the butler’s pantry.

Close-up of a work station in the kitchen at Petworth House, West Sussex

Petworth, West Sussex 

This vast late-17th-century mansion has hauntingly atmospheric servants’ quarters. Step inside to discover the huge kitchen with its extensive copper ‘batterie de cuisine’, along with larders, still rooms, pastry room and the chef’s sitting-room.

Northern Ireland
Visitors on a guided tour of Castle Coole

Castle Coole, County Fermanagh 

Seat of the Earls of Belmore, Castle Coole includes the State Bedroom prepared for George IV. The vast basement and servants' quarters at Castle Coole have been restored so that you can get an authentic experience of life below stairs. You can visit a whole host of rooms including the Footmans’ Room, Wine Cellar and Servants’ Hall.