Mucky Brick Wall

[NT]

Bricks dont change their composition in the course of service. They are porous because thats how most bricks are made. This is not a reason to coat them with slurry, a practice which is good at causing damp problems.

NT

 

[DaveBrigg]

You can always rely on me to lower the tone...

Well the post does say 'Mucky' wall. Thanks for the link though. And to think that the Eskimo language has only 37 words for snow.
To get back on track, here's a couple of pics of a bread oven, inside and out. It's big enough to get inside. There is no chimney in it though, so lighting a fire inside to warm it up would have filled the room with smoke. It is next to a range, but that would have to be kicking out a lot of heat to even warm the bricks. Is it possible to cook bread slowly, if the oven is cooler? We'd love to try.
Outside:

Inside:

 

[Nemesis]

That's terrific! Wonderful dome brickwork!

Yes, I agree - lighting the oven must have produced smoke. Some ovens are located inside the chimney breast and so any smoke could have escaped up the chimney, but that would cause other problems re access if the fire was lit, or at least allowed to go down, and if the fire wasn't then it would be cold and no other cooking could take place. It may be that if a door was open some draught would pull the smoke from an adjacent oven up the chimney. Still think it would be messy!

Some people had ovens in outhouses, if the place was large enough. Eventually, as in your picture, simple ranges were installed with integral ovens.

Ovens though were lit with very dry wood - faggots, which could be dried off in the cooling oven ready for the next use.This would minimise smoke I suppose. A rapid and very hot fire would be made, and when all was ready raked out, the interior cleaned and dampened. Early ovens had wooden doors, which would be sealed with mud while cooking was taking place.

Bread would take quite a while to cook, in the oven when really hot, followed by pastry, and then things which required less heat. All rather hit and miss. No heat would be wasted though.

There was a prog on TV recently recreating a banquet, showing how it was all done.

There's a good chapter in Dorothy Hartley's 'Food in England' about firing up and using an oven.

 

[Lady_Mari]

The domed roof of the oven is particularly interesting especially as it looks so clean & unmarked by fire or smoke. Could it have been a warming oven?

On my wall he brickwork in the inglenook & also in the recess are both charred & blackened.

Can anyone tell me the best method of cleaning of the old lime render on the bricks I'd like to keep exposed?

 

[Nemesis]

No, not a warming oven - it's a classic and terrific example of a baking oven. It wouldn't constantly have a fire in it, so not as blackened as where there was a fire constantly lit.

The dome looks quite blackened to me, though. At times ovens were given a clay or lime lining, but I don't think all. These would be sacrificial and require renewal.

Some examples had chimneys:

http://www.cressingtemple.org.uk/Bakehse/CTBake2.htm#bakehouse

But traditionally they were just as the one in the picture.

The basement of Sally Lunn's in Bath is worth a visit too:

http://www.sallylunns.co.uk/new_web_site/All_Sally_web_pages/P4HistoryDetail.htm

(as indeed is the cafe).

Some were built externally - here's an example:

http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/ppom052000.htm

and:

http://www.bratton.clovelly.btinternet.co.uk/New/LEAFHIST.htm


There were regional and timescale variations too.

To clean, I'd start the gentle way - hot soapy water and a stiff scrubbing brush.

 

[Penners]

Oooooh - Sally Lunn's! The most wonderful buns in the world, with cream and strawberry jam. Just for goodness sake don't order yourself a whole one - they're enormous!

From the Cressing Temple website mentioned by Nemesis:

9.30 a fire lit in the oven using a couple of handfuls of kindling and 5 twists of newspaper. It drew well and slithers of wood added as appropriate

Aaaaaargh! :x

 

[Nemesis]

Oooooh - Sally Lunn's! The most wonderful buns in the world, with cream and strawberry jam. Just for goodness sake don't order yourself a whole one - they're enormous!


I agree, the best, thickest clotted cream, nearly as thick as butter, and it's such a wonderful calorie laden treat. I can manage a whole one... but it's struggle.

The kitchen is worth a visit too though.

Slithers of wood - hmmmm. I agree.