51 Fleetgate Rear South Room - Kitchen

Background:

On the way to the kitchen is a pantry on the right of the passage. There would have been a cold marble or stone slab against the outside wall to keep perishable food as cold as possible - there were no refrigerators in those days! The hooks would have been used to hang meat from, especially cured meats like ham.

This room was part of the 15th century Hall, which was probably first divided in the 17th century when chimneys became popular and the large chimney on the south wall was built. The cooking range was installed in 1908, though is probably older than that, being made in Hull to a late 19th century design. This room would have been the main living area due to the range being warm all year round, making it very cosy to live in. All the food would have been cooked and eaten in the kitchen and water for washing and for the barber's shop would have been heated in the side boiler of the range. Weekly baths would have been taken here as well, using tin baths like the one hanging up in thre scullery. All fresh water for the boiler and kettle came from the pump in the back yard as there was no internal water supply.

Principal Features:

• The range used coal for fuel and would have been lit every morning. If the owners were house-proud, the outside of it would have been polished with black lead every day.
• The cupboard to the left of the range would have been perfect for storing food that had to be kept dry, so salt, sugar and flour would have been kept there.
• Flat irons were used for ironing clothes and would have been heated to the correct temperature close to the fire.
• The oven would have been used for baking bread, although at one time there was probably a separate bread oven in the scullery.
• Lighting was by gas back in 1900 and the fish tail lamp is still in place.
• Possibly an early modification was the addition of a sleeping platform over the next door area, supported by the large beam to the right of the door. Later on a full upper floor was added and a wall was built under the beam to form two separate rooms - the kitchen and a separate scullery.
• The windows are examples of the Yorkshire slide design, which goes back several hundred years.
• The doorway is very low. People were not generally so tall as they are now.
• The doors are of a very simple plank construction and the door fittings are handmade examples of the blacksmith's trade, forged by heating and hammering into the required shape.

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