The staircase was located within the original house, adjacent (east) of the hall.

It is not known whether this design for a stairwell was executed as Adam's work was much altered by Barry during the nineteenth-century, and was then lost in the demolition of 1955. It is worthy of note, however, that an imperial staircase is shown in this location in George Dance junior's survey plan of Bowood dated 1792, reproduced in Bolton's chapter on the house.