service stairs
Servants' back passage
Service stairs are a secondary staircase in a large house or building, originally designed for servants to move between floors without being seen by residents or guests.
They're typically narrower and plainer than the main staircase, often located near kitchens or back hallways: The caterers used the service stairs to avoid the party.
In modern buildings, they may serve as utility or emergency access.
- backstairsCovert or underhanded
- servantsHired household workers
- servants' quartersHousing for domestic employees
- hiddenKept out of sight
- hidden passageDisguised route between spaces
secret door · narrow · steep · domestic · domestic staff · butler · maid · kitchen · basement · attic · concealed · passage · cramped · wooden · creaking · below · quarters · upstairs downstairs
- emergency exitsfire exits, emergency exits, exit signs, fire escape, fire escapes
- stairstreads, steps, handrails, step, risers
- servant quartersservants, domestic staff, household staff, downstairs, servants hall
- vertical accesselevator, escalator, ladder, lift, hoist
- outdoor stairsfront steps, porch steps, stoop, fire escape, stone steps
- stair partssteps, treads, risers, handrails, handrail