Hidden fireplace

[pattiw1950]

I've just moved into a Cornish cottage. I believe it was built late 1800s/1900. At the moment it has a hideous modern brick fireplace, which I want to remove. The chimney breast is just over two metres wide and 38 cm deep, which suggests that there might have been a large fireplace - maybe a range there. Although the cottage seems a bit young for that, I think that maybe in a Cornish cottage of this age, they were still building the same design as early Victorian. Can anyone suggest the best way to go about establishing whether the original stone fireplace is there, without completely hacking it to pieces?

 

[Gervase]

So, the fireplace is hideous, modern and brick, and you want to remove it...
In your position I'd do just that - then you'd be able to see what lurks behind. In our place we found the original bread ovens walled up behind some modern brick, so be prepared for surprises.

 

[Nemesis]

I took a jemmy and found something nice, stone and Georgian...

 

[BMcD]

When I took out the horrid 70's split level affair in our house I found a huge glazed brick fireplace that used to house a range I presume

 

[mark_j_k]

In a friends kitchen, most of the walls seem hollow - with artex'd panneling and wooden timbers attched. Behing one wall there is the chimney breast, I'm sure there's something lurking behind it (and possibly the other walls) Not sure if I can convince them to hack the kitchen to bits yet but I'll have a go.

Another thing is their cellar, looks like on the other chimney breast there might have been a fireplace down there - the brick/stonework is covered in layers of paint so it's difficult to tell. Would a fireplace in a cellar be a usual thing? The breast itself is about 7 foot wide and and 3 foot thick made of stone and brick.

 

[peter-300]

If it was a large house the range/kitchen would be in the cellar.