The kitchens at Petworth House

252 Reviews

Star Travel Rating

5/5

Review type

Things to do

Location

Date of travel

September, 2018

Product name

Product country

Product city

Travelled with

Wife

Reasons for trip

Schadenfreude isn’t quite the word, because we wouldn’t wish ill on the poor servants who laboured in these kitchens, but no visitor is likely to want to repeat their experience. Heritage days may all be very well but at the end we return to our own fairly comfortable homes. They had either to walk back to the family hovel or climb stairs to the servants’ rooms.

It is easy to imagine the heat, crowd and rush to prepare meals before a footman covered them and ran through a tunnel under the courtyard to the house. The family had no wish to see how their meals arrived.

Equally, it is easy to admire the beauty of copper pans and their arrangement by size along scrubbed shelves, without stopping to think who kept them shining and lifted them – they are heavy – into position after cooking with them.

Not that the pans and other utensils are all: preparation rooms for pastry, vegetables and meat are fascinating to examine. Particularly interesting is the pastry kitchen with a mould for every delicacy and a small oven for fine baking. ‘Bake 0ff’ was never like that.

Appropriately, to her mind probably as well as to historical context, a celebration of the work of Elizabeth Ilive, mistress and later wife of the third Lord Egrement, is displayed in a room beside the kitchen corridor. One of her great achievements was to develop from experiment strong strains of potatoes during wartime – the first dig for victory perhaps – when wheat imports were impossible and harvests were poor. (Constable painted ‘The Hay Wain’ during one of many wet summers at that time.) The exhibition is hands-on, encouraging children and adults to use the kind of instruments she used. It is an example of how the National Trust is becoming more approachable.

Although it will be a bit crowded for wheelchair users, they should be able to explore all rooms, and perhaps experience some of the pressures the kitchen staff endured. Some of the kitchen staff are belatedly recognised in photographs with biographical details. Their wages, compared with the almost unimaginable income of the Percy and later Wyndham families, offers another insight into times we can only hope – pre-Brexit – are firmly past.

John.Pelling

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.