At first look this kitchen would appear to be a studio set for a Victorian-era television drama.

But the stunning accuracy is not the work of an astute production department – it is a real kitchen from the time, preserved as it was.

The downstairs kitchen, which has been untouched for 60 years, was discovered under decades of dust, in a Welsh mansion on a 50-acre estate.

It was blocked off during the Second World War, and uncovered by couple Archie and Philippa Graham-Palmer at Cefn Park, a 200-year-old estate on the outskirts of Wrexham.

The pair have recently taken ownership of the family house, and were astonished – and delighted – to stumble across the kitchen, which is complete with a heavy duty spit mechanism for roasting a pig or side of meat, and other dated, discarded belongings.

In a vast housekeeper’s cupboard there were found original jelly moulds, one of which bears the royal crown and ‘VR’ for Queen Victoria, pastry cutters, other culinary instruments, and even some antique fire extinguishers.

While Mrs Graham-Palmer does her best to carefully clean the kitchen, decorator Gary Fallows has been tasked with painstakingly removing a layer of limewash paint to reveal the original Victorian scheme – mustard yellow and an eggshell blue.

The blue paint was mixed using chalk and crushed animal bones and that the blue pigment was used because it was thought the best colour to repel flies.

In the 1881 census the the huge residence was shown to be staffed by a live-in butler, valet, footman, groom, servant, housekeeper, laundry maid, two house-maids, kitchen maid and scullery maid, as well as a coachman and a gardener.

Most of those people would have spent a great deal of time in the kitchen, taking their meals at the great table in its centre.

Sir Roger Palmer, who took charge of the house in 1854, died childless in 1910 and the estate was inherited by his nephew, Roderick George Fenwick of Plas Fron, who adopted Palmer as an additional surname.

When he died in 1968, the estate went to his cousin, Roger Graham, Archie’s father, who also adopted the surname Palmer.

Cefn Park has a long history and, with a new generation in the house, this history is being gradually uncovered. But, while Archie and Philippa’s principle intention may be to preserve the past, they are also looking to move it forward and to use it. There is still plenty of work to do but it feels that the place itself has already been given a new lease of life.

The huge table and benches in the middle of the room could easily seat 20 staff and the couple have since begun to uncover a treasure trove of history.

Mr Graham-Palmer, who moved into the house in June last year having had it handed to him by his father, said: ‘Until a few months ago this was full of boxes and old horse blankets.

‘It had been a dumping ground for years, back to the Second World War. When we began to remove these things, we discovered that the room was as it would have been.

‘We even found a 19th century cook book. Most of the recipes would have needed an army of cooks to prepare – it’s certainly not Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals.’

Source: here

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