The West Solar, or State Dining Room as it is now known was the withdrawing room of the mediaeval house, to which the Lord of the manor and his family would retreat for some privacy. The family would have slept here too, but taken their meals in the hall with everyone else.

Originally the room would have been lit from three sides, rather than one window as today. There is a squint opposite the fireplace - a little window looking down into the Baron's Hall, useful for checking up on what was happening below…

The fascinating collection of portraits in the Solar represent influential figures of the 16th and 17th centuries and important members of the Sidney family.