I've owned a home in Brighton since about 1985, but this was the first time I'd ever lit a fire here.
When we were living in this house I often spoke about opening-up the old bricked-up basement fireplace.
Being lower than the outside pavement, the room does tend to be a tad cooler than the rest of the house; regardless of the huge radiators. The basement was originally servant's quarters, and I'm sure the two fireplaces were originally filled with old cast-iron cooking and water-heating ranges.
Kimbo recently took the plunge and there is now a very pleasant wood-burning stove in the newly reinstated fireplace.
Yesterday evening I was there alone, so I lit it. The stove is very similar to a small one we had at our barn in France. It lights easily, and gives out very good heat in little time. The perfect urban stove.
I turned on the TV (The Repair Shop) and spent a very pleasant couple of hours prodding and feeding the stove. It was almost like being back in France.
I just wondered why I hadn't installed something similar myself all those years ago. But at least I did install this one (below) which was in my studio directly above the new one; but I never lit it.
The surround was allegedly made from reclaimed timber, and the cast-iron insert a copy of a Victorian one.
The enclosed stove would be a more efficient heater than the open fireplace perhaps. We installed one supposedly too small for our living room but have to leave the doors open through the entire downstairs to dissipate the heat it puts out - even on pine firewood. Quite envious of you now....
ReplyDeleteWe have a big Godin stove in France that produces fantastic heat (after a while). But now I'm rather hankering for the big old open fire that took metre-long logs. It was wonderful, but you can't leave it.
DeleteI would love to have a stove but it is not allowed here as this is a registered building. I have cheated though and put in an electric copy so that I can watch the flickering "flames".
ReplyDeletePut a proper one in at the dead of night. No-one will know, just make sure you use smokeless fuel.
DeleteI wonder if over the years the road and pavement level has risen? I know that was so in the house I owned in South Wales in the Ebbw Valley
ReplyDeleteQuite possibly. As roads rise, basements sink.
DeleteIt is good that you didn't manage to burn the house down while Lady M, Kimbo and his family were out. I doubt that they would have been very happy to return to the sight of fire engines and the sound of sirens.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I never lit the open fire in my studio. It was for decoration only.
DeleteThe wood burner looks very cosy.
ReplyDeleteI have a pellet stove which really gives almost instant heat and is easier to clean out than a wood burner. Judging by the scent on the air late at night, most of my neighbours burn wood.
It's the smell of coal that I don't like. A friend in France uses those pellets in an eco-house; they do work very well.
DeleteI have never lived in a house with a wood burning fireplace. The other house, had a gas fireplace, as close as I have ever been.
ReplyDeleteWood fires are very nice. They fill the house with fine dust, the logs are heavy and need to be cut, and you spend the whole day putting more and more wood onto the fire.
DeleteWe have inherited a fire just like that with our new house. It's years since I had to light a fire. Is it like riding a bike?
ReplyDeleteRemember to have it cleaned, and to always light it HOT; that way it heats the chimney quickly and it won't smoke.
DeleteKimbo did a nice job updating the fireplace. The stove insert must push out great warmth. Watching flames as they warm a room is always pleasant.
ReplyDeleteWe've had it lit every night, it's lovely.
DeleteWe still have an open fireplace in the old part of the house. We used to huddle round there, K grilling over the coals. It only heated 2 rooms. Now we have our wood burner stove which gives out enough heat to warm all the house and we can cook with it as well.
ReplyDeleteAt our 300 year old cottage in France we have a huge (inglenook) fireplace. It took metre long logs which rested on ancient fire dogs, with a lovely old broken cast iron fire-back behind it. It was fantastic, and I miss it.
DeleteSee are told that gas central heating combi boilers have to be phased out. No end of people are therefore installing wood burners. Which of these does the least environmental damage?
ReplyDeleteThere's no shortage of wood, but maybe that'll change.
DeleteWell this is a hearthwarming Christmas story!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter in law put up the tree yesterday.
DeleteI think you should replace the upstairs fireplace with a stove like the new one downstairs and then use it of course. I remember ours burning all winter here back in 1987 with a kettle constantly at the back ready to be brought forward to boil for a cuppa. We sold that house and haven't had a wood stove since. I miss it, the cosy feeling of home and hearth.
ReplyDeleteWe cook on our one in France. Stews etc on the top, and baked spuds in the ash pan. I love it.
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