Posted by David Bamford on April 03, 2004 at 23:42:04 from 203.10.110.131 user David.
In Reply to: Re: Mrs Dixon's Kitchen posted by Gwyn on April 03, 2004 at 08:33:26:
In my grandparents' cottage just outside of Barnacle, a hamlet near Coventry, the fireplace such as in the picture which Mike posted was in turn located inside a recess in the wall which was crowned by an arch. The mantleshelf would span across above the archway. There was an oven each side of the fire and a cast iron top on which pots could be put to keep warm. There was also a hook on an arm which could be swung out over the fire,and the kettle would be suspended from that. My grandfather worked at the local railway station at Shilton, and would bring home om my Dad's trailer old sleepers of creosoted pine. One end of the sleeper would go into the fire, and the other end would stand on an upended fruit crate. As the sleeper burned down it would be fed into the fire again. Grandfather's chair was just inside one end of the archway. Very cosy on a winter's night!
David