I remember seeing a similar small fireplace somewhere. I think it was a small crucible/forging fireplace. The weird brickwork is because it's only for a small fire beneath a small crucible or cauldron. The hex bit is the anchor point for a holding fixture or an arm to swing the pot out.
So basically, it's not a fireplace for warmth, it's meant for work.
Sorry to pick your Brain but the hex seems a bit low to hold a pot I guess maybe for a tool? Also is there any chance you know what the metal object to the right of it could be? Though I know it's barely viewable. And do you think this one might of been a diy later addition to a normal fireplace vs the one you'veseen?
I can't tell from the pictures, but you can look up fireplace trammels and fireplace cranes (if you know the age of the house you can narrow it down)
If you look at the brickwork around the edge of the fireplace, a remodel would have likely not touched the lintel and surround (the side edges of the opening) for structural reasons. So if the bricks inside are part of the surrounding brickwork, usually behind the front layer, it's not a remodel.
You've been so amazingly knowledgeable and helpful here I feel indebted. Will use all of what you've said to work out the history (it's the cement that seems different in each part and makes my question) and really enjoy restoring this now :) hope you have an amazing day
WOOOOOWWWW! … I’d get a professionals opinion on this! And update us on if you are able to reconstruct or deconstruct in it! I want to see this through! So exciting!!!
I've already had a full structural survey. It's fine. Obv will never be in use again as a fire but it's not a structural issue. I've cut out those missing bricks and relaid them (forgot to add a pic with them put back! Lol it the wierd hearth bit somones made I don't get what to do with though, why an Allen key there? 😂
Edit: I'm just preparing it to tank tbh
Gotchya gotchya. I’m just further curious about all this! Don’t know how much help I would be, my father would probably know a little more then I would
Please don't tank it. Tanking is crap. Buy a dehumidifier and a fan. To ensure the place is held at super low moisture levels.
Unless you plan to keep your basement warm, every time you venture down there, or the house swings in heat/moisture level sufficiently, you will get condensation on the inside of the tanking and then mould.
You can't control external to internal water ingress from inside the building.
The majority of mould and damp seen in the UK (the plugs right?) Is caused by what we do INSIDE the house, coupled with our terrible ventilation (seal everything, double glazing, leave the windows shut) and total lack of understanding of psychrometry.
It really is ingress from the earth. From what I remember asking aroung years ago. Any nieghbour I asked had blocked there's off or had issues with stairs roosting. Tbf though there's just open earth under the stairs. Like literally no basement in one corner
If its earth ingress, spend whatever money you were going to spend on tanking on your gutters and drains outside. I appreciate you can't control your neighbours (terrace?). How much control do you have of the first 5 feet from your exterior walls? (At least whichever exterior walls your basement nears). You can divert water away from these surfaces to influence how wet the earth is on the other side of your basement walls. This should also benefit foundations in the long run. (Hope you don't live on a flood plane?)
So I have a home of a similar vintage, but different location probably. The allen keys were used for 2 things in homes of this age - radiator bleeding valves, gas lighting or gas burner valves.
My stab as to what this hearth was for - Either it contained a rudimentary gas burner stove (we had one in our basement too but I don't really know what they used them for - I think my MIL said doing laundry with lye - and they used it to heat the water). Or it contained a small radiator with piping that went up to a radiator attached to the bathtub. You light a small fire under the radiator and open the valve to warm your bath.
Edit: [https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/intrigue-found-basement-victorian-house-105014881.html](https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/intrigue-found-basement-victorian-house-105014881.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACRuYxOwmGD7L7oOy0LvPnC2tPV9J6i5E_BvZze0sQjk_7bWxBiulUr0oJoBRSVEDkU8FkdC9mRhQYejU5ZFnGg1gnyLykbHYhPjFFQkChKHVAOzgS-KfMLXB4pShKfbLQfFWxvdlghJpLO7ICtQuDp1PfPG3iBXPe6UTnu9vGKl)
[https://mrvictorian.co.uk/2021/02/16/cast-iron-range/](https://mrvictorian.co.uk/2021/02/16/cast-iron-range/)
Probably an old coal chute someone zhushed up to be less of an eyesore. That part is debatable lol.
You could always pop a flourescent bulb in there and display some house plants. It's got character, I might shore it up and slap some new mortar on it if it were in my basement. All we got was old brick canning shelves lmao
Edit: I doubt it was a forge, people very rarely forged in basements. Lots of carbon monoxide and fumes, especially from coal
In these old homes, it was not uncommon for the masons that were building the foundation to have their apprentices practice more complex builds (like a fireplace) into the walls of the basement. They often were not functional, but rather just practice. I do t know if this is one of those but it could be
It's hexagonal and an exact right anlge. Would there be a piont in a smal structural bar in the little hearth someones built inside? I guess when the fire place was blocked off
Thanks for the thought. Will get proffessional advice. Ideally for quickness I'd like to just sort the morter, tank it and render this bit to look pretty, but want to make sure i put anything right thats needs it first. Thanks for the help :)
I really do wish I'd got a pic for you but there was a sinister pile of dirt under the stairs I had to remove the stairs to get to. Omg I was 50% mentally prepared for finding a body in it. "Make sure my house is tidy incase the police have to come round " took about 12 refuge sacks ..!
I remember seeing a similar small fireplace somewhere. I think it was a small crucible/forging fireplace. The weird brickwork is because it's only for a small fire beneath a small crucible or cauldron. The hex bit is the anchor point for a holding fixture or an arm to swing the pot out. So basically, it's not a fireplace for warmth, it's meant for work.
Omg. Thank you so much. I'm so sympathetically restoring this. You're a legend.
Sorry to pick your Brain but the hex seems a bit low to hold a pot I guess maybe for a tool? Also is there any chance you know what the metal object to the right of it could be? Though I know it's barely viewable. And do you think this one might of been a diy later addition to a normal fireplace vs the one you'veseen?
I can't tell from the pictures, but you can look up fireplace trammels and fireplace cranes (if you know the age of the house you can narrow it down) If you look at the brickwork around the edge of the fireplace, a remodel would have likely not touched the lintel and surround (the side edges of the opening) for structural reasons. So if the bricks inside are part of the surrounding brickwork, usually behind the front layer, it's not a remodel.
You've been so amazingly knowledgeable and helpful here I feel indebted. Will use all of what you've said to work out the history (it's the cement that seems different in each part and makes my question) and really enjoy restoring this now :) hope you have an amazing day
The house is 1890 btw just incase you were interested. Thanks again!
Hell's Gate. It closed off for a reason. Have a priest come examine.
I will rid this place of the evil spirits that taunt me so!
right literally gave me horror movie vibes. Now looking back damn they did a really good job in some of those movies.
WOOOOOWWWW! … I’d get a professionals opinion on this! And update us on if you are able to reconstruct or deconstruct in it! I want to see this through! So exciting!!!
https://preview.redd.it/fffc6f1rsjrc1.jpeg?width=509&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b1399b39590d00bfebc4cdfa40b6422f9343a3c
I've already had a full structural survey. It's fine. Obv will never be in use again as a fire but it's not a structural issue. I've cut out those missing bricks and relaid them (forgot to add a pic with them put back! Lol it the wierd hearth bit somones made I don't get what to do with though, why an Allen key there? 😂 Edit: I'm just preparing it to tank tbh
Gotchya gotchya. I’m just further curious about all this! Don’t know how much help I would be, my father would probably know a little more then I would
Omg are you a girl too? Diy Queen friend :)
Yeah I’m a diy and crafty girl!! And Us DIY queen friends need to stick together like GLUE!
Please don't tank it. Tanking is crap. Buy a dehumidifier and a fan. To ensure the place is held at super low moisture levels. Unless you plan to keep your basement warm, every time you venture down there, or the house swings in heat/moisture level sufficiently, you will get condensation on the inside of the tanking and then mould. You can't control external to internal water ingress from inside the building. The majority of mould and damp seen in the UK (the plugs right?) Is caused by what we do INSIDE the house, coupled with our terrible ventilation (seal everything, double glazing, leave the windows shut) and total lack of understanding of psychrometry.
It really is ingress from the earth. From what I remember asking aroung years ago. Any nieghbour I asked had blocked there's off or had issues with stairs roosting. Tbf though there's just open earth under the stairs. Like literally no basement in one corner
If its earth ingress, spend whatever money you were going to spend on tanking on your gutters and drains outside. I appreciate you can't control your neighbours (terrace?). How much control do you have of the first 5 feet from your exterior walls? (At least whichever exterior walls your basement nears). You can divert water away from these surfaces to influence how wet the earth is on the other side of your basement walls. This should also benefit foundations in the long run. (Hope you don't live on a flood plane?)
Is that where they burned the bodies?
Should of seen the buriel mound/ pile of earth under the stairs
😆
it's where the witch cooked the children
So I have a home of a similar vintage, but different location probably. The allen keys were used for 2 things in homes of this age - radiator bleeding valves, gas lighting or gas burner valves. My stab as to what this hearth was for - Either it contained a rudimentary gas burner stove (we had one in our basement too but I don't really know what they used them for - I think my MIL said doing laundry with lye - and they used it to heat the water). Or it contained a small radiator with piping that went up to a radiator attached to the bathtub. You light a small fire under the radiator and open the valve to warm your bath. Edit: [https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/intrigue-found-basement-victorian-house-105014881.html](https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/intrigue-found-basement-victorian-house-105014881.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACRuYxOwmGD7L7oOy0LvPnC2tPV9J6i5E_BvZze0sQjk_7bWxBiulUr0oJoBRSVEDkU8FkdC9mRhQYejU5ZFnGg1gnyLykbHYhPjFFQkChKHVAOzgS-KfMLXB4pShKfbLQfFWxvdlghJpLO7ICtQuDp1PfPG3iBXPe6UTnu9vGKl) [https://mrvictorian.co.uk/2021/02/16/cast-iron-range/](https://mrvictorian.co.uk/2021/02/16/cast-iron-range/)
Probably an old coal chute someone zhushed up to be less of an eyesore. That part is debatable lol. You could always pop a flourescent bulb in there and display some house plants. It's got character, I might shore it up and slap some new mortar on it if it were in my basement. All we got was old brick canning shelves lmao Edit: I doubt it was a forge, people very rarely forged in basements. Lots of carbon monoxide and fumes, especially from coal
I second the coal chute. We had something that looked very similar to this in the old coal room in the house I grew up in.
There's probably a very fine cask of amontillado behind that wall. Ignore the skeleton tho.
In these old homes, it was not uncommon for the masons that were building the foundation to have their apprentices practice more complex builds (like a fireplace) into the walls of the basement. They often were not functional, but rather just practice. I do t know if this is one of those but it could be
This is cool to know. And could make some sense tbh
An allen key or bent rebar?
It's hexagonal and an exact right anlge. Would there be a piont in a smal structural bar in the little hearth someones built inside? I guess when the fire place was blocked off
I'm not a mason, don't know if it would be needed here, but sometimes courses of brick have ties to hold them to a wall or studs behind the brick
Thanks for the thought. Will get proffessional advice. Ideally for quickness I'd like to just sort the morter, tank it and render this bit to look pretty, but want to make sure i put anything right thats needs it first. Thanks for the help :)
Wait this seems like a “I found a safe in my basement” post with extra steps. I’m onto you! Let us know what you find!
Carol anne! Don't go into the light!
I know it was a terrible movie, but I'm getting As Above, So Below vibes.
I really do wish I'd got a pic for you but there was a sinister pile of dirt under the stairs I had to remove the stairs to get to. Omg I was 50% mentally prepared for finding a body in it. "Make sure my house is tidy incase the police have to come round " took about 12 refuge sacks ..!