Outside Kitchen Area

Extension of outside kitchen area. The outside kitchen area once extended along nearly the whole of the north elevation and steps opposite the North Entrance led up to the site of where the original stables might have been located. However, by 1819, it had been subdivided by the introduction of the Servants’ Entrance. This was a single storey structure, occupying the central section of the area and extending out from the house to leave a narrow passage against the retaining wall.  It linked the kitchen (B19a)  to the North Entrance (B17) after the insertion of the Justice Room (G18) in the void over the Serving Room (B18) had blocked the original connection within the house . The new structure also accommodated a porch outside the North entrance and a store at its west end; the steps in the retaining wall aligning with the North Entrance remaining in use.

The Servants’ Entrance was removed in 1909 by Dunn & Watson when a new connection was formed beneath the Justice Room following the excavation of the Serving Room.  A fragment of the early 19C building was left as a kitchen porch (B19b), and a new extension I(B12c) to the Servants’ Hall (B12b) was built out over part of the west end of the area, joining to new brushing and knife rooms (B12d-e)  contained within the retaining wall structures.  The railings are shown on the Dunn & Watson drawings.  Replacement glazing has been introduced in the windows and skylight of the Servants’ Hall extension in the second half of the 20C.

With the restoration of the volume of the original kitchen and its adaptation for use as a kitchen and breakfast room, more light and space is required immediately outside the building to make it congenial group of rooms for 21C use.  The retaining wall is, therefore, removed, allowing the area to be widened and the park to step down to it in a series of sloping gross banks.  At the west end, the 1909 steps are rebuilt to provide access to the gate in the screen wall, giving meaning to Habershon’s side gate of 1843.

The North elevation is primarily of 1630s construction with early 18C modification by Sir Thomas. The extension at the East end was implemented in a series of works constructed as a series of additional storeys in the 18C, 19 and 20 C for the Powys family.

The repair of the North Elevation follows the removal of structures abutting the wall.  The east window in the kitchen (B19a/W2) appears to survive in its original form and is used as the pattern for the reinstatement window B19a/w1 where the early 19C doorway (B19a/d1 is removed.  New windows (B12b/w1-w2) **or single* using the same detail are incorporated where the wall of the Servants’ Hall is reinstated following the demolition of Dunn & Watson’s extension. All materials follow the evidence of the original.

A Brief History

x

What's to do

x

Kitchen Porch

Demolition of Kitchen Porch (B19b)

A Brief History

by 1819 remnant of servants entrance constructed when Justice Room isolated kitchen from Kitchen Stair. 1909 Dunn and Watson part retained as porch outside kitchen 

What's to do

To be demolished and cleared away to allow restoration of kitchen window (B19a/w1)

Pictures

Click to view larger (if any shown below)