Old cottage in Wales comes with free brick oven!

[tvrwolf]

Hi, just about to move in and found my new house has an brick oven. i will try and add pics in a minute. I know little so i am looking for general advice on

1. what type it is and amount of work to make good again. (the current owner says the chimney was blocked so i know that needs doing)

2. Any historians on here. What century is it from? any ideas?

Many thanks

[rlodad]

We like small pictures here, but I need a microscope to see those. can you submit them a little bigger? BTW, I'm jealous!

[Wiley]

I agree with rlodad, in future posts, please make the pictures larger.

However, from what little I can decern it appears that the WFO vents thru the door (as expected as it allows one to close off the WFO so that heat can be retained). If that is the case the area in front of the door (where there is an overhead light) is the area where the chimney exits upward. When you re-open the chimney you can figure on smoke/soot upon the ceiling where the light presently exists. The arch of stone is probably there to help direct the smoke exiting the WFO into the chimney and keep it from the rest of the room.

In the one photo of the ceiling of the interior of the WFO on the top edge of the photo there appears to be some brick ends. Sort of "raggeddy toothed" like perhaps one or more is missing; again better sized photos might help. A good photo with the camera facing straight up in the area just inside the door might clear this up.

As to what century the home was built...a trip to the local tax assessor's office might give some info as to when the home was built...or at least placed on the tax rolls. But I expect you reviewed the history of the home before purchasing? Do they have any laws in GB on what is known as full disclosure with regard to selling homes? If so there should have been a full history of the home (year built, modifications etc.) in the contract.

Hope this helps,
Wiley

[dmun]

There are countless numbers of ovens from the 18th and early 19th centuries. They only started to die out with the popularization of the iron range in the mid-19th century. It really could be built anytime, since obsolete technologies tend to hang on in rural districts, where buying an expensive kitchen range would have been a major expense.

Old ovens tend to be uninsulated. Even if you could vent it properly, it might be difficult to bring it to cooking temperatures.

[tvrwolf]

dmun, wiley and rlodad many thanks for replies. i hope these photos come out a bit bigger, any observations welcome.

[rlodad]

Observation: You figured out how to get the pics big enough! Interesting oven, actually. Can you access the other side of the bricks, or are they behind the wall? If you can access then, perhaps you could add insulation. Also, you can probably add heat stop to the gaps between the bricks on the inside. lastly, before you consider using it, as others have said, get it inspected. No point in burning down the house.

[Laurentius]

Thats not an oven, its an ammunition bunker.

[Les]

Note to self - don't hire a mason from wales.

[Karangi Dude]

Hi Tvr,
That is a beautiful old door, even though the top hinge has been broken and another adapted to fit underneath using part of the old hinge.
It appears that the oven has had the back cut off to biuld a wall as there is a flat section at the back or maybe that the is flue at the back of the oven, could that be right?
If so maybe there is a damper and that is whats blocking the flew.
There looks like there is at least three different types of bricks some old and some not so old.
I would suggest getting the flew cleaned first just to see how the flew is attached and how it is supposed to work, and then reporting back to us.

Looks like you have plenty of 12 gauge cartridges to go Grouse, Pheasant, Partridge, Duck or Rabbit, shooting.

[brickie in oz]

Originally Posted by Karangi Dude

It appears that the oven has had the back cut off to biuld a wall as there is a flat section at the back or maybe that the is flue at the back of the oven, could that be right?

I think you are right, the flat section look a lot like LBC London Brick Company bricks to me.
Is there a newish extension to the house?

No way I would light that oven as its not complete, youll burn the house down.