Old oven in Brittany

[Frances]

So while we were on holiday we went to look at this castle and, surprise surprise, it had an enormous old kitchen with an old oven built into the walls.

Despite some friendly eyerolling and affectionate grumbles from my family ("I swear Mum, if I have to look at one more WFO I will SCREAM" "That's IT! I'm calling the divorce lawyer!") I once more took pictures for you guys...

This one had a chimney with a very wide vent going half way accross the wall, but like the one in Gruyere the first row of the dome is made of huge great stones. The entry is also made of three massive stones - thats how they built all their doorways in that part of the world it seems.

In the next room behind the oven there was a hole built in the wall, which was used as a warming cupboard. Oh, and I was interested to notice they had an ash slot...

[Frances]

Down in the cellar (dungeons?) there was another one, with the same kind of vent, but without the huge stones anywhere. One for the guards maybe? Or you heat them on alternate days and use the other for lower temp cooking?

Pretty cool anyway!

[Wiley]

Hi Frances,
Great photos! The first oven (upstairs) looks like it has a very low dome. From the photo it looks like the peel would have a hard time being flipped over inside the oven. Is this a trick of the photo or was the ceiling of the dome that low?
Wiley

[Breven]

What castle was this? Any idea how old these oven are?

[james]

Originally Posted by Frances

Despite some friendly eyerolling and affectionate grumbles from my family ("I swear Mum, if I have to look at one more WFO I will SCREAM" "That's IT! I'm calling the divorce lawyer!") I once more took pictures for you guys...

That's taking one for the team. I've been there, and the family can really mutiny over a couple of photos. My sister-in-law still gives me a hard time -- "do you remember the time James kept running off taking pictures of old ovens and brick arches...." Cue the laughing kids...

James

[christo]

nice photos of the interior domes - I guess that meant you had to climb in to some degree?

Very nice

christo

[Frances]

Originally Posted by christo

I guess that meant you had to climb in to some degree?

...actually I'm getting quite used to it

Sorry I forgot to mention the name of the castle that was built round the ovens... here it is, Chateau de Kerjean:

Chateau de Kerjean

So it looks like the ovens date back to the 16th century.

The dome wasn't that low although the ceiling is rather flat, mainly because the "soldier course" bricks are about 20 cm high (uh, that'd be 8 inches, right? I'm out of practice...)

[Frances]

Originally Posted by james

That's taking one for the team. I've been there, and the family can really mutiny over a couple of photos. My sister-in-law still gives me a hard time -- "do you remember the time James kept running off taking pictures of old ovens and brick arches...." Cue the laughing kids...

James

It seems very hard for some people to understand that of course you go back and look at the oven again after you've looked at the whole castle...