Orsett Hall

[Sahara]

I thought people might want to know about this. I have just seen that Orsett Hall which is a Grade-II listed hotel in Essex has burnt down.

The BBC news report is here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/6646437.stm

Incident images are here: http://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/pages/index.asp?area=5&id=38&folder=224

 

[Penners]

I saw it on Anglia news. Hell of a fire - great shame.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

I cannot believe how quickly it developed from a grill fire to a raging inferno.. surely a kitchen catering for a hotel would have had proper smoke alarms, fireproof doors etc. It semed to get into the main part of the house very quickly where of course it would get a hold. Devastating pictures , especially the one on the news showing the facade with flames behind every ground floor window and through into the hall way.

 

[charlie-ia]

Is this the recommended way to remove established ivy then?

 

[Gareth Hughes]

List description to read and weep at...

5221 PRINCE CHARLES AVENUE
Orsett
Orsett Hall
TQ 68 SE 6/25 8.2.60

2.
C17 and C18. Stock brick, with grey slate hipped roof. Two storeys and
attics. Seven window range double hung vertical sliding sash windows, outer
ones at first floor are round headed with balustraded aprons. Outer ones
at ground floor are Venetian with Doric half columns. Central first floor
window has architrave, cornice and balustraded apron. Porch with round columns
and dentilled capitals, open pedimented hood with guttae and dentils. Steps
up. Cornice, Pedimented dormers. Internally is C17 panelling and C17 plaster
ceilings and chimney piece. C18 staircase is believed to have come from
Orsett House. Mid C17 fireplace with caryatids and seated figures of Hope
and Charity.

 

[Nemesis]

Yes - grim. Another one gone...

 

[alice]

I grew up in a family restaurant business. The biggest fear of all kitchen managers is a fire in the kitchen. Restaurant kitchens generate huge amounts of grease over the stoves and grills, which accumulates in the vents and that catches fire in an instant. During the day, small fires start all the time when the the grease that's in the vents overheats and spontaneously combusts, but they're put out quickly. The problems is when the kitchen closes down for the night and no one's there and the smoldering grease in the vents combusts then.

Here in the states, restaurants are required to have professional vent cleaners come out once a year to clean out the vents over the grills. It takes all night (they work at night, so the restaurant doesn't have to close) and they'll take out an amazing amount of muck. It's expensive and it's one of those things that cowboy managers will skimp on or cheat on.

If you think about it, I bet every restaruant fire you've heard of happened in the middle of the night. I'm not at all surprised this place caught on fire, despite the fire doors, sprinkler systems and alarms.

alice

 

[Penners]

Is this the recommended way to remove established ivy then?

No chance. I bet that, within a month, any burnt ivy will be putting up new shoots.