In the larger stately homes of the era, it was not uncommon to have a bachelor wing. This held both entertainment and practical purposes. In terms of entertainment, the rooms most favoured by gentlemen could be grouped together for ease of access.

For practicality, the wing would be on the opposite side of the house, or at least on a separate floor, from the primary chambers and guest suites, thus providing a few benefits:

• the guest apartments in this wing were reserved for bachelors, thus keeping the gentlemen separate from the unmarried ladies who might also be staying at the house;

• the noise of the entertaining rooms would not interfere with the peace of the other suites;

• this wing often had a separate, private entrance so as not to disturb the rest of the house.

Rooms one might find in the bachelor wing: billiard or snooker room, saloon, smoking room, stag parlour, library, antechambers, game room (with card tables at the ready), music room, long gallery.