Day 9. The Chimney

Until the Medieval period, most houses had a central open hearth for heating, cooking and light. The smoke escaped through the thatch or a smoke hole.
An outer fireplace with a chimney was built on dwellings of modest size from the 16^th century. This had many advantages. The dwelling was no longer filled with smoke; sparks were easily contained; and the room no longer had to be open to the roof. Concomitant with the advent of the chimney was the introduction of an upper floor in dwellings.

Chimneys were soon incorporated into almost all new houses, and built onto older ones. They were built in brick or stone for obvious reasons – sometimes the only brickwork in a timber-framed house. Earlier examples often projected from the house; later ones were incorporated into the outer wall. The once-presence of an open hearth is often made obvious by a look at the roof timbers. They will be blackened by years of smoke.

                                         A stone chimney on the timber-framed Locke's Farm.

Park Farm in the 19^th century. The diagonally-placed chimney, removed in the late 19^th century, heated what was once the parlour before drastic alterations to the interior layout.

Large hearths were typically built, still evident in many old houses. Large pieces of timber were the only available fuel in many areas before mechanical saws became available. The hearths were used for  stewing pans, roasting spits, boiling water and many other purposes as well as warmth. 

During the 19^th century, ranges and stoves replaced the open hearth for cooking purposes. The expanding railway network meant that coal was easily and cheaply acquired across Britain, and fireplaces were now reduced to a much smaller size. They were also installed in upstairs rooms. The small coal grates found in the parlours of many old houses can often be found to sit in a much larger, blocked up fireplace.

                                                A Victorian upper-storey coal grate.