Beneath the elegant Georgian rooms of Birdsall House lies one of its most unexpected spaces, The Old Kitchens, a former network of Victorian service rooms now reimagined as one of Yorkshire’s most distinctive places to celebrate.
When James and Cara moved to Birdsall House in 2017, they knew the house needed to evolve in ways that would secure its future while remaining true to its character. Weddings and events quickly became an important part of that story, but one question remained. While the house offered magnificent reception rooms for ceremonies, drinks and dining, where should the party happen afterwards?
For a time, marquees provided the answer. In pre-Covid times this worked well enough, but they never felt quite right for the long term, especially post pandemic when the cost of marquee hire rose sharply. Guests also increasingly wanted a venue that offered everything in one setting, somewhere that felt seamless, immersive and complete. The answer, eventually, was waiting beneath their feet.
The Old Kitchens had sat largely untouched for decades, used as storerooms and full of forgotten objects, dust and layers of history. Yet they also held enormous potential. Connected to the main house, rich in atmosphere and blessed with a wonderfully theatrical layout, they offered the chance to create something entirely different from the rooms above. Not a replica of the house’s formal elegance, but its counterpoint, something moodier, more playful and made for evening revelry.
Restoration began in April 2023 and brought with it all the complexity one might expect from an old building. There were practical challenges at every turn, from electrics and drainage to fire safety, damp and structural questions. But alongside those came the excitement of shaping a space with real purpose, somewhere that would not only preserve part of the house’s fabric, but give it renewed life.
The vision that emerged was inspired by the glamour and intrigue of the 1920s. Set in the basement and layered with masses of the original character, the space naturally lent itself to a world of low lighting, polished cocktails, music and dancing. In contrast to the refined grandeur upstairs, this would be a place with a different energy altogether, intimate, atmospheric and just a little decadent.
Today, The Old Kitchens have become one of the defining features of the Birdsall experience. For weddings, they allow the day to unfold with a real sense of progression, from ceremony and dinner in the state rooms to cocktails and dancing below stairs. For private parties, they offer a setting that feels glamorous, unexpected and far removed from the ordinary. For corporate events, they create a striking shift in tone, allowing a day of meetings or entertaining upstairs to end with drinks, music and a more relaxed kind of celebration.
That contrast is what makes The Old Kitchens so special. Upstairs, Birdsall House remains the elegant family home it has always been, rich in warmth, beauty and history. Downstairs, it becomes something altogether more spirited. The result is a venue that can offer both timeless country house charm and a bold, contemporary sense of fun.
The restoration of The Old Kitchens was never simply about reviving an old basement. It was about creating a space that would allow Birdsall House to entertain in a new way, while staying true to its long tradition of hospitality. Two years on, it has more than found its feet. It has become the place where celebrations gather pace, where guests linger long into the night, and where Birdsall reveals one of its most memorable sides.
