Interior. View of larder and former bread oven, from West.

Description Interior. View of larder and former bread oven, from West.

Date 25/5/1994

Catalogue Number C 43634

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 769739

Scope and Content Larder and former bread oven from west, Arniston House, Midlothian This shows a corner of the larder, where food would be stored on wooden shelves. The curved recess was once a large bread oven (which would have had been enclosed by further walls). A fire would be lit in the base, and when the oven had reached a high enough temperature the ashes would be raked out and bread placed inside to bake. Large amounts of bread would be produced in the kitchen to feed the landowner, his family, guests and servants. Dough made from flour, yeast and water was mixed in large wooden troughs which were then covered with hot sacks until the mixture had risen (smaller amounts were made in bowls called 'panshons'). The dough was then kneaded, put into pans to rise again, and then finally baked in the oven. Arniston House, the seat of the Dundas family, was built in the Palladian style from 1726 onwards by architect William Adam (1689-1748) on the site of a c.1600 U-plan tower-house. His son John (1721-92) added the west wing and orangery in 1753. The house was further altered during the 19th century, and comprises a central three-storeyed block with flanking two-storeyed service pavilions joined to the main building by two-storeyed links. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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