Found a hole in my kitchen, what might it be?

[skier-hughes]

During the removal of the plaster from the kitchen I came across this...
Pictures Here

I'm not sure what it is.... some sort of oven?

It matches the rest of the wall, in that the edges of it use rounded edge bricks the same as the two ends of the wall of which it is in the middle. It is 7 bricks tall and 2 bricks wide.

Any ideas what it might be?

Should I spend time opeing it up and excavating the insides?

This wall was going to have a dresser against it, but may not if this is an interesting find and worth the effort to put right.

Any links to what it may be in it's finished state, so I know what to look for when working on it?

Graham

 

[Gervase]

My first thought was 'bread oven' but it's a bit shallow, so maybe a dry store for salt or flour. Such 'salt boxes' were quite common in Welsh fireplaces.

 

[Paul Hopper]

Graham

Carefully open it up.. you will never be able to live with yourself if you cover it up without knowing.
Bearing in mind the age and history of your house it could be a number of things.. have a good look after opening up (very carefully) then post pictures for us.

Paul

 

[Schoolmarm]

Don't know the style of your house but is it a dumb waiter?

 

[Penners]

Graham - I think Gervase may be on the right track. It's definitely too shallow for a bread oven, but being close to a chimney, and therefore presumably to an earlier fireplace or kitchen range, it could well have been some sort of wall cupboard for keeping culinary stuff dry - salt, herbs, etc.

That's unless you open it up further and find a pile of bones in the bottom. :shock:

The bucket under the chimney looks worrying! Have we got a bit of rain ingress?

 

[skier-hughes]

I shouldn't think it's a dumb waiter as it only goes up a little way further than the hole opening. I'm not sure how far down it goes, as it's full with crap.
Not knowing the size of bread ovens it could well be a storage hole. But why build such a huge wall to have such a small storage unit?

I'll open it up and see what it looks like.

I'll post further pictures as we progress, so long as it doesn't all fall down adn bury me

The bucket contains the sand I excavated when I took up the quarry tiles to remove the unneccessary radiators.

Graham

 

[L1zzy]

oooer ...can't wait for the next installment - I too think unless you excavate you'll always wonder ...what if - could be gold dubloons (sp?) or a dried up cat to ward off witches or a jar similar to one found in Corfe that contained a witches brew.... crikey hurry up and reveal all.


ps I'm concerned at your intake of 'grit' given the state of the food prep area at your place!! :lol:

 

[Penners]

I'm concerned at your intake of 'grit'

It aids the digestion.

That's what my old grandad used to say, anyway.

Mind you, he also said that it helped chickens to lay eggs with stronger shells, so let's see how Garaham gets on!

 

[skier-hughes]

Should hopefully get back to work on it on Thursday, unless the weather is bad tomorrow keeping me indoors. So will let you know the outcome.

In the mean time I'll give the worktops a wipe over

 

[Penners]

Do post some more pictures of what you find.

 

[skier-hughes]

Will do.

I'm just helping the jcb driver today as we are levelling off the orchard to the paddock, filling in the electricity and water trench, removing silt from the moat and putting some top soil on the hardstanding so we can grass it.

:shock: I've got to drive the farmers tractor

 

[Penners]

The moat??

Are you expecting marauding bandits to cross the border from Warwickshire?

 

[biffvernon]

we are levelling off the orchard to the paddock,

Mind the trees.

 

[skier-hughes]

We border the West Midlands Penners, you never know what those infidels might do next.

Don't worry Biff the JCB driver is excellent and very cheap - highly unusual these days - and has done a marvellous job, but it was really making the orchard level to the paddock, as the Orchard was about 18" higher, not really in with the trees, there is now just a gradual slope from one to the other that once grassed I'll be able to mow all round.

 

[monkey writer]

i want a moat now. Any ideas how I could build one around a victorian mid-terrace house without alerting the neighbours?

 

[Penners]

i want a moat now. Any ideas how I could build one around a victorian mid-terrace house without alerting the neighbours?

Just tell them you're digging a 15-foot wide French drain.

 

[BMcD]

monkey writer wrote:

i want a moat now. Any ideas how I could build one around a victorian mid-terrace house without alerting the neighbours?

And if you live in Thames Water region they'll fill it soon enough with a leak

 

[Paul Hopper]

Ask graham about the marauding ducks, geese,crocodiles and enormous plants wot seem to grow around moats.. especially his! I know, I've seen it!
Paul extra bit.. elephants too as I recall.

 

[skier-hughes]

Been for my annual bash with Microsoft, so haven't got very far with the investigating. Once I've finished checking all my mail I'm going to get back to work.

Never know maybe I may find more elephants under the Giant Rhubarb I'm going to plant a Xmas tree on Duck Island for them to hide under as well........

 

[Penners]

Been for my annual bash with Microsoft

Next time you're talking to them, could you tell them that I think their WGA spyware is scurrilous? Particularly as it masquerades as a security update.

Incidentally, my Windows is completely legit.

Sorry - I know that's off-topic.