Birdsall House opens state-of-the-art event and party space

Birdsall House, home to the Willoughby family for over 300 years, opened to the public for the first time in April 2018 for weddings and events.

‘The Old Kitchens’ is a total transformation of the building’s large abandoned Victorian kitchen complex of rooms.

Found in the basement of the house, the rooms stopped being used after the Second World War.

The project has taken over two years to complete with the space now available to hire for events and parties as a standalone space as well as providing an area for wedding receptions.

Receptions and evening parties have previously been held in marquees within the grounds, due to the delicate historical fabric of the house.

Sitting in its own private valley on the edge of the Wolds, Birdsall House was built in 1540. The Hon. James and Lady Cara Willoughby and their three children opened their home for events to ensure the longevity of the building and to allow more people to make use of the historic rooms and grounds, which includes the impressive St. Mary’s Church within the parkland.

The house includes a ballroom, dining room and a state drawing room named the Oval Room, the width of which was built to equal the spectacular jump of Henry Willoughby’s horse in 1790, and includes a number of items of historical importance such as an unbroken line of family portraits dating from 1573. Six bedrooms, available for the wedding party, also underwent renovation in 2018, bringing them into the 21st century while complementing the home’s history. This includes a bridal suite with ensuite double bath, a separate dressing room and stunning views over the Wolds and extensive house grounds.

In the 19th Century the Victorian kitchens at Birdsall were a bustling series of rooms routinely feeding a family of fifteen, with upwards of 30 staff each day.

At the centre was the large main kitchen supported by a network of smaller pantry rooms and storerooms, meat larders, ice houses, a study for the Head Cook, servants’ halls and workshops.

After the Second World War, with the reduction of domestic staff and a seismic shift in how the household was run, the old kitchens were abandoned.

Maintaining many of the original features, the area has now been transformed into an event and party space complete with its own private bar situated in the old servants hall and a double height dance floor where the main kitchen used to be.

The old pantry has been renovated to give guests an area where they can help themselves to evening food and the old cooks room has become an optional second area for seating.

The new events space, called The Old Kitchens, can accommodate 200 people and is completely accessible for those in wheelchairs.

The space can also be accessed separately from the rest of the house, allowing much more flexibility for event planners, and a slight sense of 1920s prohibition as guests discover a previously unseen entrance and discover a whole new venue.

Lady Cara, who has led the renovation project with her husband James, said: “We have been very fortunate to host some amazing weddings in the house over the past five years and are continuing to host exclusive weddings and events in the house. However, we hope that The Old Kitchens will add another fantastic dimension to what we can offer at Birdsall. After receiving a number of enquiries for other private functions, such as 21st and other ‘big number’ birthday parties, music gig nights and product launches, we wanted to develop what we can offer at Birdsall House further and so the project was born. We can’t wait to welcome people to The Old Kitchens and hope the space will prove a big draw for those wanting somewhere completely unique in Yorkshire.”

The inspiration for The Old Kitchens came from the rooms themselves. Keeping as many historical elements of the building as possible was important to the team.

Cara and James have taken time and effort to use products that work with materials already in situ, every product is very much in keeping with the age of the building.

In the main house, there is original wallpaper by William Morris and so this theme has been continued downstairs, in keeping with the upstairs rooms but with a 21st century update.

The architect Ben Pentreath has reinvigorated some of William Morris’ original wallpaper designs and these have been used in the new space.

Local craftsmen have worked hard to retain the huge amount of character found in the space by carefully selecting each and every detail, using as much of the original kitchen cooking implements and crockery.

The Old Kitchens are available to hire now and viewings are welcomed by private appointment.

To find out more visit https://birdsallestates.co.uk

ENDS

Attachments: Photos attached please credit Martyn Hand with the exception of the image of Lady Cara Willoughby which has a credit of Angela Stubbs.