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Hoar Cross Hall - Life Below Stairs #35

...m.   Servants ready for a rare day out!   Around 28 people were employed on the grounds. Two young boys were employed just to sweep the pathways and were known as bothy boys. The most common of all male Servants was the gardener as they were responsible for producing all the fruit, vegetables and herbs which were used in the kitchens as well as keeping the lawns and hedges tidy. Grass was cut by a horse-drawn mower, although this was the chauffeur’s job surprisingly. The kitchen garden also supplied the house with flowers and during important functions at the house they would bring across masses of palms and pot plants to decorate the rooms. Home Far...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #45

...t.   Servants dressed for a day out   The basement rooms were where most of the staff spent much of their time. The large kitchen with its open fireplace was surrounded by the scullery, larders for meat, game and fish, dairy products, and the cook’s own sitting room. Along from the Servants hall (where they all ate their meals) was the butler’s pantry and plate room and the butler’s bedroom. The plate room was where all the silver plate was kept and it was the butler’s job to look after it, even having his bedroom next to the plate room so it was always under guard, especially at night. There was also a wall safe to keep valuables in and next t...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #18

...n was the Servants Hall (where they all ate their meals) and along the passage was the butler’s pantry and plate room and the butler’s bedroom. The plate room was where all the silver plate was kept and it was the butler’s job to look after it, even having his bedroom next to the plate room so it was always under guard, especially at night. There was also a wall safe to keep valuables in and next to the wine cellar was a Chubb walk-in safe. The still room was a large area for making jams and cakes and where the afternoon teas were prepared. It was also used for pastry making and other meals such as the breakfast trays for the nursery which gave some relief...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #39

...HOAR CROSS HALL – LIFE BELOW STAIRS:    This week I’ve done a history blog about the Servants who lived at the Hall from the 1870s to the 1950s when the Hall became empty. They were an essential part of keeping a big house running but were often not appreciated by the aristocracy as they went about their day to day duties. The life of a servant in Victorian times was a hard one. They had to rise at 5am to clean and light all the fires and dust and polish the floors, then do a day’s work, often not getting to bed much before midnight. No wonder they didn’t live to a great age in those days! By the end of the 19th century there were nearly one and a hal...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #19

...time! Servants in the kitchen keeping busy!   After the food was cooked it was taken through the servant’s hall to a lift shaft or dumb waiter and up into the Dining Room. From there the Servants could serve the family. Unfortunately a pantry boy fell down this shaft and broke his leg in several places so it was sealed up after that and a different system was used to keep the food warm on its way to the Dining Room. At each end of the house was a spiral staircase and this meant that the Servants could move around the house on their own staircase out of sight of the family. On each floor was a green baize door off the staircase where they could enter...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs

...HOAR CROSS HALL – LIFE BELOW STAIRS:       This week I’ve done a history blog about the Servants who lived at the Hall from the 1870s to the 1950s, when the Hall became empty.  They were an essential part of keeping a big house running but were often not appreciated by the aristocracy as they went about their day to day duties. The life of a servant in Victorian times was a hard one.  They had to rise at 5am to clean and light all the fires and dust and polish the floors, then do a day’s work, often not getting to bed much before midnight.  No wonder they didn’t live to a great age in those days!  By the end of the 19th century there were nearly...