.png)
The Stillroom at Kentwell Hall in Suffolk
The stillroom used to be a distillery room found in both wealthy households and many small houses and farms, dating back at least to medieval times. Such rooms were used to make medicines, cosmetics, beeswax candles, furniture polishes and soaps.
Herbs and flowers from the kitchen garden were preserved for flavouring food and processed into what today we call essential oils. Candied marigolds and violets, sweetmeats, marchpanes, dried petals for broths and stews, vegetable dye to colour butter and cheese were all prepared in the stillroom.