French Oak Double Doors
On the threshold of the dining room, the formal side of the Manor begins.
About French Oak Double Doors
The French oak double doors are not the entrance to the Manor, but a pair of great doors some 2,480 mm tall standing on the threshold between the gallery and the dining room. When your butler opens both leaves, the formal side of the house — the table and the chandelier — comes into view. At Queen's Butler we introduce not only the timber and height of the doors themselves, but the moment when the view changes as they open.
The double doors stand not at the entrance but on the threshold of the dining room
The role of these doors is not to admit you to the Manor, but to change the scene as you pass from the gallery into the dining room. While closed, the broad French oak surface holds the gaze; when opened, the view widens all at once to the table, the chairs and the lights.
You are welcomed on arrival at the entrance of the Manor. You then proceed along the gallery, and at the moment of being shown into the dining room, you see the double doors. Thinking of the entrance and the double doors separately makes the route through the house, and the effect the doors provide, easier to understand.
Before the doors, your butler never hurries your step, and shows you the position from which both leaves and the person enter the same field of view. As butlers of Queen's Butler, a general incorporated association, we value both the manner that protects the furnishings and the courtesy owed to the person we receive.
Knowing the timber, height and setting reveals the role of the great doors
| Name | Antique double doors, a pair of great doors |
|---|---|
| Timber | French oak |
| Height | Approximately 2,480 mm |
| Location | The threshold between the gallery and the dining room |
| Construction | Two leaves opening to left and right |
| Points of interest | The grain of the wood, the height, and the view before and after the doors open |
As the doors open, the table and the lights appear as a single view
The moment the doors open does not reveal the dining room little by little; the movement of the two leaves presents it as a single view. The table stands at the centre, the lights above it, the chairs around it, and the eye passes from a closed wooden surface into a space of depth.
Your butler does not step far ahead of you, but supports the door, bows, and indicates the way forward. For one guest, we guide along the centre line; for two or more, we arrange your steps so that no one is hidden before the doors. Even with six guests, we keep an order in which the last person sees the same view.
What Queen's Butler values is not simply presenting the doors as a splendid backdrop. It is that the relationship between the one who opens, the one who is received, and the room about to be entered is conveyed in a single gesture.
See the dining room
What you see changes between the doors closed and the doors open
| State | What you see | The butler's manner |
|---|---|---|
| Before the closed doors | The broad surface and height of the French oak | We keep a distance from the centre of the doors and guide you to where the whole can be seen |
| As one leaf moves | Part of the dining room appears beyond the wooden surface | We check the position of hands and feet, and support the door at a steady pace |
| After both leaves are open | The view deepens to the table, the chairs and the lights | We bow and clear the centre for you to proceed |
| At the farewell | The gaze returns from the dining room to the gallery | We check your belongings and your pace, and lead the way to the next room |
The double doors are not a substitute for the entrance, but a threshold that changes the scene within the Manor.
Before the double doors, we guide you into the dining room in five movements
We proceed along the gallery
Your butler leads the way to the position from which the whole of the double doors can be seen.
We settle your step before the doors
We keep enough distance to take in the height and the timber without coming too close.
Your butler checks both sides
We make sure that no person or belongings are within the swing of the doors.
We open both leaves
We handle the great doors on either side and open the view of the dining room.
We bow and indicate the way
We clear the centre of the doorway and welcome you into the dining room.
The grain of French oak changes its impression from near and from far
Looking at French oak means both approaching the doors to see the character of the wood, and stepping back to take in the whole 2,480 mm height. Up close, you see the colour of the timber and the changes across its surface; from afar, the contrast with a person or with the gallery conveys the presence of great doors.
Not only from the front: once the doors are open, a view from an angle lets you see the once-closed surface together with the depth of the dining room. Without obstructing the doors, your butler suggests the order in which to change your viewing distance. Without touching the furnishings, simply moving your position reveals different expressions.
On a rainy day or at night, once inside the Manor the doors are no less rewarding. Watching the fall of the light and the quiet of the surroundings, your butler chooses the position that suits the moment. If you wish to see the mass of the wood, or the instant of opening, please tell us.
What you may see at the great doors
- You may take in the French oak timber and the full height of approximately 2,480 mm
- You may experience the change of view before and after the doors open
- You may watch the butler's bow and lead as you proceed into the dining room
- In line with your booking, you may discuss photographs with the double doors as a backdrop
- Both male and female butlers attend you at the doors
What we ask of you
- Please leave the opening and closing of the doors to your butler
- The Manor is never let unattended; a butler is always at your side
- Moving the doors or the surrounding furnishings is confirmed in advance
Seen from three viewpoints, the role of the double doors becomes clear
See the height of the closed doors
Step back a little and take in floor to top in a single view. With a person standing beside them, the mass of the 2,480 mm height becomes clear.
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See the moment the doors open
Watch the wooden surfaces move to left and right as the dining room widens from the centre. From the butler's hands to the bow that indicates the way, it is one continuous gesture.
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See the dining room beyond
Treat the doors as a picture frame and look through to the table and the lights. Turning back after entering the dining room, you also see that this is the threshold to the gallery.
Read moreYour butler watches your pace more than the speed of the doors
What the butler watches before the double doors is not only that both leaves move at the same speed, but the interval in which you can take in the height of the doors and the view beyond. If your step is quick, we quietly slow; if you wish to pause, we keep that time before the doors for you.
At Queen's Butler, the doors are never treated as a mere photographic backdrop. They are opened for the person passing from the gallery into the dining room, supported until the last guest has passed, and lead into the next stage of your visit. Female and male butlers alike receive you with the same courtesy, whatever their dress or build.
If this is your first visit, there is no need to know any etiquette. Once the centre opens, watch your butler's bow and the direction of the hand, and proceed at your own pace. Take your time to enjoy the moment when the table and the lights appear beyond the doors.
QAre the double doors the entrance to the Manor?
No, they are separate from the entrance. They stand on the threshold between the gallery and the dining room and set the scene for entering it. You are welcomed at the entrance on arrival, and reach the double doors during the tour of the house that follows.
QHow tall are they?
Approximately 2,480 mm. Seen from a little distance with a person beside them, the mass of the great doors becomes clear. If you wish to see them to the top, your butler guides you to a position that takes in the whole.
QWhat wood are they made of?
French oak. After looking at the grain up close, step back to view the doors as a whole. Once open, a view from an angle lets you enjoy the timber and the depth of the dining room together.
QMay I open the doors myself?
Please leave the opening and closing to your butler. While keeping you and the furnishings safe, we guide you to the position from which the moment of opening is best seen. Once the centre opens, we bow and indicate the way.
QMay I take photographs?
We arrange photographs in line with your booking. So as not to obstruct the doors or the passage, please consult your butler about positions and order. The closed doors in full and the doors part-open offer different compositions.
QHow many people may view them at once?
The Manor accommodates up to six guests. We divide the group into front and back and arrange an order in which everyone sees the doors open. If there is large luggage, we clear the area around the doors first.
You may also wish to read
Beyond the double doors, your butler leads the way.
Whether you wish to see the grain of the wood or to capture the moment the doors open, please tell us when booking.