South Kensington Living

Kitchens

Ovens

A Georgian kitchen contained an open fire with a roasting grate with spits. It might also have a bread oven and a range for saucepans heated by the fire. Count Rumford (see fireplaces) invented the closed kitchen range, built round the kitchen fire, with hot plates for pans. This was refined till Dr Gustav Dalen produced the Aga design in 1929, which is still used today.

Scullery

There would usually be a separate scullery for preparing vegetables and for washing dishes. 

Pantry

Other provisions and cooking utensils would be in a pantry. In larger households, there might even be a separate game room and flower room. Perishable items would be kept in a separate still-room, on thick stone slabs to keep them cold. 

Butlers and housekeepers

In the larger houses there would be separate rooms for the housekeeper and the butler (where the valuables would be locked away). 

Laundry

There was a laundry room where clothes could be scrubbed and boiled in a copper pan.