Hampton Court Palace - Part Two (Downstairs)

So, are you ready for part two?  You have now met Henry VIII and looked around his rooms, let's now go 'downstairs' to see where all the work took place!

The heart of the home is the kitchen, and my word, what a kitchen!  There are many different areas for the food preparation, keeping food cool (running north to south so that the sun didn't shine through), butchering, boiling, pastry making.  Everything was thought of.  Some areas of the kitchen are on show, some are not, but when I saw this fire place, I felt right at home!

Look at the size of it!  And can you see the spits that would have held so many amazing roasting meats!  We stood near this and the heat was certainly welcome, and to see the soot on the outside of the chimney breast was gorgeous!

On the other side another, more petite oven (well, compared to that monster).

Can you imagine the army of servants that would have been rushing up and down these rooms supplying feast after feast each day.

Even the Pestle and Mortar was of mammoth proportions!  My friend (K) was standing behind this so you can see the scale of it.

Another fireplace, and I think this was for the smoking of fish due to the baskets nearby with fish stacked inside (not real I may add!).

Do you want to see up the chimney?

Can you imagine sweeping out that beauty?

Down the corridor were some serving hatches where the finished food was passed.  Here we have the many pewter dishes and drinking receptacles.

Clerks would work along here counting all the pewter dishes etc so that the exact same number returned to the kitchen.

I can imagine all the smells that would have filled the air and noses each day, and the hard work of making sure everyone was fed.

But enough of the food, let's get serious!  Wine!!

Me, Miss Teen and K must have looked pretty desperate when we started to sniff the wood of these barrels - but the smell of wine could still be picked up... delicious!  Just down some stairs there was Henry VIII's beautiful wine cellar...

Its stairs were very well worn, something I love to see.

As we walked along the corridors and alley ways, it felt as though we were walking along a village street in the evening.

And this walkway had to be my favourite.

With its Tudor beams windows and brick work - I was VERY happy!

This corridor however made me feel a little uneasy.  I don't know why, but I didn't want to go down there.

But, I was now going to be VERY happy!  A Chocolate Kitchen!!  NO!  Not made of chocolate, this was where King George I and II's Chocolate Maker worked.

Thomas Tosier worked here during the 1700's with spices and preparing the chocolate which would take hours.  It was then poured into silver or gold pots and served in porcelain cups.

Yes, I would have been very happy to work here, however my production would have been terrible!

So that's 'downstairs'.  If you missed 'upstairs' my post is here.  Give me a couple of days and 'Garden' will be ready!

Thanks so much for popping by, and for those leaving a comment on my previous post.  I will visit you very soon.

Take care.

      

This week I am sharing with:

Our World Tuesday