This was probably the servant's bedroom and main storeroom for food. Un-panelled and open to the roof.

Scroll through the numbers to see more detail about this room
Use the next button at the bottom of the page to move to the next room.

Things to look out for in the Kitchen Chamber

Meal Ark: Massive chest used for storing grain. Found in many 17^th century homes and could be locked to stop servants stealing the grain. In 1611 this room had five arks.

Half-headed bed: Known as ‘half-headed' because it does not have a canopy. Could have slept three or four servants at a time.

Chests: Used for food storage. The aumbry with two carved ‘windows' for ventilation is 17^th century and may be of German origin.

Spinning wheels: Typical of spinning wheel used in this area.

Skillet: In the 17^th century most saucepans, skillets, cauldrons and cooking pots had three short legs. This enabled them to be balanced directly on the fire.