Fireplaces

In English homes, the fireplace has always been the center of the room. For many months of the year, people like to sit around the fire and watch the dancing flames.

In the Middle Ages, fireplaces in the halls of large castles were very wide. Only wood was burned. Large logs were carried from the woods and put into the fireplace. You can still see such wide fireplaces in old inns. In some inns, there are even seats inside the fireplace.

Fireplaces were decorated with woodwork. Sometimes there was a painting or a mirror above the fireplace. When people began to use coal instead of wood, fireplaces became much smaller. Grates (metal baskets) were used to hold the coal. Above the fireplace, there was usually a shelf with a clock and sometimes photographs.