Gilbert-n-George.

It's a constant battle, in Winter, trying to keep warm. I seem to saw and split several cubic metres of wood each day; of course in reality it's only a barrow load, but it seems like a lot more.

Gilbert (above), our Godin sitting room stove, requires large amounts of wood if any real heat is to be generated. He needs to be stacked high with good dry Oak before he becomes effective.

George (above), on the other hand, is much more efficient. Our DeVille kitchen wood-fired cooker takes far less wood, and produces far more heat from much cheaper Chestnut. 

This Winter we lit our first fire mid-December, and we shall probably still be lighting them until March. That's a lot of wood and a lot of chain-sawing.

I should add that Gilbert-n-George are our only forms of proper heating, other than one or two oil filled radiators, that we hardly ever use. 

As all owners of similar wood-fired Cookers will know, they produce the very best stews, roasts, and baking. The aroma of a slow cooking stew from a wood oven is totally different to that from gas or electricity. I needn't tell you which I prefer, even if it is all bloody hard work.