open fire with an oven, how does it work??!!

spinningsheep

I am moving into a new house very soon and this gorgeous fireplace is there in the lounge. My question is, if the chimney is sound (see seperate thread) how do you use the oven above!! There is a strange handle or 2 at the sides that pull in and out but I dont know if they have any sort of use. Hope somone can help, ive never seen anything like it you see!

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...p/DSC00038.jpg

Ken68

That looks like an ordinary smoke hood, spinning.
And the levers could control the flue damper at the back.
Ovens are usually alongside the fireplaces.
p.s.....is there a name plaque anywhere ?

spinningsheep

Hi ken, no its definately an oven. It drops down on that panel, it looks like a smoke hood but its a real oven with a rack in it and a baking tin etc. there is some sort of damper at the throat of the chimmney in the back of the grate, but when you move the lever, this plate sort of cuts off the passage completely, would this not mean all the smoke comes back into the room? One of them says "boiler" on it, but there is no evidence of it having any sort of back boiler.

Ken68

Quite a bit in Google under Antique Fire Ovens...maybe worth something.