The Development of the Kitchen in the English Country House

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify, over a period of 500 years of English history, the architectural development of the kitchen in the English country house. Seven periods of architectural design; Medieval, Elizabethan, Restoration, Palladian, Neo-Classical, Gothic and Picturesque, are included in this study. Each period has been assigned an appropriate English country house beginning with Bodiam Castle in 1315 and ending with Cragside House in 1884. The review of each house includes, where appropriate, a discussion of the role of the kitchen in the overall architectural design of the house, period design influences on the determination of the kitchen location and architectural changes in the kitchen that are a reflection of social change occurring during the specified period. Architectural periods and houses are presented in the following order: •Period I Medieval: Bodiam Castle, 1385 and Knole House, 1456 •Period II Elizabethan: Hardwick Hall, 1597 •Period III Restoration: Belton House, 1684 •Period IV Palladian: Holkham Hall, 1734 •Period V Neo-Classical: Kedelston Hall, 1763 •Period VI Gothic: Ashridge, 1808-1817 •Period VII Picturesque: Cragside House, 1864-1870