A ledger belonging to none other than Thomas Chippendale, who was paid £10,000 to furnish Harewood when it was built. © Harewood House.

As stately homes go, Harewood House near Leeds is up there with the grandest of them. Built in 1772, kitted out by Chippendale and boasting royalty among its residents, Harewood is everything that a grand old English pile should be.

The historic venue has a long and glamorous story, but the latest exhibition to be staged there takes a more down to earth look at the inner workings of a building that has teemed with life for over 200 years.

Below Stairs – Harewood’s Hidden Collections, on until November 14, features over 1000 items that have been waiting in hiding for decades, even centuries.

It's not the fine china, but a servant's pewter place setting from the 18th century has a certain grandeur to it. © Harewood House.

Harewood’s John Martin, speaking to the 24 Hour Museum, said: "Most people have items stored away in their attics and great houses like Harewood just have larger attics than average, full of interesting things that have often been languishing in nooks and crannies for many years."

As well as picking out some fascinating objects including Princess Mary’s pony cart, the display offers an intriguing look at the lives of the house’s staff.

From snow shovels and footman’s livery, to a servant’s pewter table service and historical documents, the display gives an account of the everyday lives of the staff.

The tasks expected of an 18th and 19th century steward are revealed, as well as the complex hierarchy of servants and the day-to-day activities of maids and footmen.

Any encyclopaedia of cookery had to have a contribution from Monsieur Lecomte, a 19th century Jamie Oliver chef de cuisine to Lord Harewood. © Harewood House.

An important element of the exhibition is its interactivity and the house’s current staff are keen for visitors to take a hands-on approach to the collection.

As well as drawers full of fascinating objects to be opened and discovered, there are artefacts just waiting to be handled. Are you strong enough to lift a fully laden housemaid’s coalscuttle?

However, there’s also the rather grander side of life in a stately home to be explored. A ledger recording master furniture-maker Thomas Chippendale’s accounts of his fitting out the house for £10,000 is on show alongside an 18th century sketchbook that belonged to plasterer Joseph Rose.

Princess Mary with her sons the current Lord Harewood and his late brother. © Harewood House.

Along the corridors, life above stairs gets a showcase. A far cry from the meagre pewter of the staff table setting, a 150-piece Venetian millefiore glass dessert service that belonged to HRH Princess Mary, the present Lord Harewood’s mother, shows the kind of luxury enjoyed by the house’s owners.

Furthermore, the former housekeeper’s room has been turned into an exhibition all about the life of the Princess Royal, as she was known.

Items such as a childhood diary, her wedding dress and bouquet and notes of condolence received after her death in 1965 all reveal the person behind the public face.

A free trail leaflet available at the house covers both floors, while an audio guide to the Below Stairs area can be hired for a fee.