In the days before extractor fans and hob hoods, one of the advantages of having the dining room so far from the kitchens was that none of the cooking smells pervaded the family rooms! The disadvantage was that the food had to be kept warm for the table. This was achieved by the use of covers and stands with burners underneath. Dishes with an inner and outer lining which was filled with hot water were also used. Many of these delightful dinner service items are on display today.
Tastes may have changed over the centuries and etiquette has too. In the nineteenth century a signal would be given by the hostess at the end of dinner and the ladies would rise and leave the room. The gentlemen would remain at the table with their port and cigars under the watchful eye of a portrait of Aubert Lemire, one of the finest Van Dycks in the collection, which hangs over the fireplace.