UKC

I have just removed a fireplace/grate. The fire/grate is relatively modern ie 70s but the house was built in about 1830/40. The fire stood separately in the fireplace with the sides and rear of the space was tiled.

After we removed the fire we found a cast iron 'vent' about six inches up the rear wall. It is about 5 inches square and has a circular door on the front which opens by swinging around on a screw at the top of the door. Obviously designed to be swung up for temporary access and then swings back down to cover the hole. Behind is a small iron floor and then mortor sides above. It was full of soot and debris and I assume it connects to the chimney above.

Does anyone recognise it from my description and if so what is it?

thanks

In reply to BigBrother: It may have been a way of emptying the ashes from the fire outside to avoid having to bring them through the house?

In reply to BigBrother:

I suspect you have the date of your house wrong, it may well be a 19th century façade attached to a much older building. During the reign of Elizabeth I Catholics were systematically persecuted by the state, in order to hide Catholic priests the houses of many Catholics had secret rooms or priest holes where clergy could hide if the authorities came looking for them, the space behind your fireplace is likely to be one such room. Sometimes the priest would have to hide there for several days or longer, this of course meant that he couldn't minister to the needs of the 16th century catholic choirboys. The small hole you have discovered is the ancient equivalent of the glory hole found in modern toilet cubicles, designed to allow the priest access to the young choirboys without breaking cover.

In reply to BigBrother:
Since I live in an end-of-terrace I've been thinking of installing such a vent, so the fire can draw cold air from the alley outside instead of warm air from the room - it must be more efficient! But I've not actually seen such a vent.

In reply to BigBrother: Vent is the wrong word but as I don't know what it is I don't know what else to call it. It doesn't link to the outside. It seems to be access to a mini chimney that goes up to the main one above the fire. The only function I can think of is whether soot is supposed to fall down there rather than the into the fireplace and then the small swing door gives access to clean it out? It would be awkward as it is in the centre of the wall and would be completely behind whatever fire was there originally.

In reply to EddInaBox:

...lol, Genius - though perhaps oversized?

I think it's actually the chimney sweeps equivalent of a rodding point. I.e. access point to sweep the chimney from IMHO.

In reply to EddInaBox:

I was going to say it's where they walled up a very small nun, but your take is much more impressive.

In reply to BigBrother:
Could it be an old fireplace bread oven? Difficult to know without seeing a picture, the position you describe makes it sound a bit unlikely. You could google some pics and see if it looks similar.

In reply to dyno-sore:
chimney sweeps equivalent of a rodding point.
just about,
I'v seen similar access boxes when the flu kinks sharply just above the hearth.
I suspect the flue runs straight up above this access, you rod from the top down and shovel the soot/ash out from the hatch. the metal base makes scooping up with a shovel easier.

In reply to BigBrother:

Is it possible it is simple a means of drawing air through the fire to get it to burn hotter i.e. to help when lighting the fire or needing to get it hotter.

Some houses used to have back boilers to heat the water, are you sure there isn't a metal tank behind the fire back and the vent goes under and behind it thus drawing the hot flames under the tank. Then at the top of the back of the fire there was a flap/door that was opened by means of a metal ring that hung down into the chimney at the top of the back of the fire or a small handle that pulled out above the fireplace. As said above it is difficult to imagine the dimensions of what you are describing. It was a good cheap way of heating water, especially in the winter.

In reply to BigBrother:

I like this thread.

In reply to Knitting Norah:

Forgotten those Norah, yet had one all my life till moved here. You had a hooked poker thing to open and close it.

In reply to BigBrother:

Have you seen the film 'Being John Malkavich'?

In reply to dyno-sore:


As opposed to a Catholic priest's rodding point, you mean?

In reply to BigBrother:


Have you not seen the Goonies more like..... leads to a pirate ship and gold!

In reply to BigBrother: perhaps your house was previously owned by edgar Allen poe.

In reply to BigBrother:

It sounds like a 'soot door'. If it is, it's used for sweeping the flue from outside - to keep soot out of the room.