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Best historic kitchens
Kitchens were often thought of as the engine room of a historic house. Some that we look after have catered for royalty, others contain centuries-old stoves, pans and gadgets. Discover the best kitchens to visit and hear stories from the cooks and maids who worked in them.
- 575 Wandsworth Road, London
- Poet and author Khadambi Asalache’s home is a 21st-century work of art, with wooden fretwork panels. Much of the kitchen is crafted from reclaimed or repurposed wood. Among the intricate carvings are glass-paned cupboards and a purple range cooker. The kitchen remains as it was when Asalache died in 2006, with spices and tins of food.Visit 575 Wandsworth Road
- Blickling, Norfolk
- Blickling's kitchen was once housed in the West Wing. Food was delivered through an underground tunnel and kept in hot cupboards before being presented to diners. It was sometimes cold however, so the kitchen was moved in the 1930s. The cook kept Lord Lothian's orange juice in a modern fridge and remembers making a luncheon for Queen Mary.Visit Blickling
- Castle Drogo, Devon
- Jelly must have been popular with the Drewe family as they kept an amazing 374 copper jelly moulds in their 1940s kitchen. They’re still on view. The state-of-the-art kitchen was designed by Edwin Lutyens. A dumb waiter was included so that servants could send food directly up to the Drewes' rooms.Visit Castle Drogo
- Castle Ward, County Down
- Castle Ward's kitchens were built between 1762–1768, however their contents are mostly from the 1830s, including the copperware stamped with ‘CW’. The typical 18th-century Irish vaulted ceiling operates as a fire break between the basement and the upper floors. Look up to see hooks suspended from the ceiling that were used for storing food.Visit Castle Ward
- Cragside, Northumberland
- Lord William Armstrong had a passion for technology, kitting the kitchen at Cragside out in labour-saving gadgets. The Victorian servants used a double range. Over the range is a water-powered roasting spit that connects to a small water turbine and still turns today. A hand-operated dumb waiter lifted supplies from the scullery and pantries below.Visit Cragside
- Dunster Castle, Somerset
- The Blue Kitchen was installed in the early 1960s. It was extremely modern for its day with its blue formica cupboards, easy-to-clean vinyl floor, fridge and electric cooker. It was run by just a cook and a maid, thanks to all the time-saving features. A modern sink and boiler for hot water were also installed, making washing up a breeze.Visit Dunster
- Erddig Hall and Garden, Wrexham
- Erddig's 1770s kitchen was originally detached from the main house as a precaution due to its three open fires. Unusually for a kitchen it has a Venetian window, so appears grand. Inside, there's a ham hanging from a hoist attached to the ceiling. It's a reminder of a soldier who ordered it from a local butcher in 1938, but never returned from the war.Visit Erddig
- Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk
- The kitchen dates from the early 1700s. Its stand-out feature is the 18th-century batterie de cuisine, full of highly-polished copper pans. Beside it are two long oak tables, one is 18th century. Don't miss the 1950s Aga. Women of the household would have occasionally been involved with the ‘nicer tasks’, such as making sauces, desserts and household remedies.Visit Felbrigg Hall
- Florence Court, County Fermanagh
- Florence Court's kitchen has an octagonal room. The reinforced, cast iron vaulted ceiling is unusual. It was added in 1835 by William Willoughby Cole as fireproofing to protect his collection of fish fossils upstairs. The kitchen garden grew significantly after 1869, when a walled garden was built. We've recently restored the glasshouses.Visit Florence Court
- Ham House and Garden, London
- Ham House's 17th-century kitchen stands next to its Still House, where the Duchess of Lauderdale once made make-up, cordials and medicines. King Charles II came to dinner in the 1670s. The kitchen featured the latest technology, including a charcoal-burning stove ideal for making fashionable French sauces.Visit Ham House
- Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Gwynedd
- The slate meat safe is a highlight of Penrhyn’s Victorian kitchen. Such safes kept meat cool and free from flies. The safe stands on a plinth with oak-framed doors, mesh-covered holes, brass handles and a lock. The shelves are made with slate from Penrhyn Quarry. Spot the large pestle and mortar too, used to pound meat and fish into patés.Visit Penrhyn Castle
- Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire
- Shugborough has two kitchens. Built in the 1790s, the high-ceilinged main kitchen has a copper ‘Batterie de Cuisine’, housing different pots. Two large, high cupboards either side of the cooking range were accessed by ladders and kept food dry. A second, modern kitchen in the private apartment of Patrick Lichfield was visited by Princess Margaret.Visit Shugborough
- The Hardmans’ House, Liverpool
- The kitchen at Edward Chambré and Margaret Hardman's house is preserved in all its 1950s glory. Plates are still drying on the rack and the cupboards hold original food, along with a large collection of plastic egg cups. The food tins are increasingly unstable and must be handled with care by our conservators each year to prevent spillages.Visit The Hardmans’ House
- Townend, Lake District
- Townend's farmhouse kitchen contains a 17th-century meat loft. Along the back wall sits an array of boxes, shelves, cupboards, carvings and a longcase clock, all fitted in the 19th century. Perhaps one of the earliest examples of a fitted kitchen, it contains a weaver’s bowl, which intensified the light needed for intricate tasks after dark.Visit Townend
- Tredegar House, Newport
- Tredegar's mansion was famous for its parties, sometimes cooked by chefs from France. The kitchen accommodated up to 45 workers. Look out for the 19th-century roasting range, with its fan-powered spit mechanism; a stewing range fed by charcoal; a copper cheese vat and the blue lime-wash walls, believed to help repel flies.Visit Tredegar House
- Wallington, Northumberland
- The kitchen at this country house has a stone floor dating from 1688. Its flagstones were angled slightly so they could be scrubbed down with skimmed milk – a useful cleaning agent at one time. In 1938, a big hotel Aga was installed in the kitchen. It was a real economy, apparently saving the work of one kitchen maid.Visit Wallington
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