When we moved in, I started scouring the web and some local reclamation yards for a fireplace for what will become our new dining room.
Although this site is good and listed many reclamation yards in our area that stocked Victorian, Edwardian and even Georgian fireplaces .. http://www.salvoweb.com/ .. the bargain of the century was to be had at a great little antiques shop in Heathfield, East Sussex called Toad Hall Antiques.
I would add a link to their website – but they don’t have one (we obviously need to design and build one for them!) .. here are their details though http://www.heathfield.net/listings/antique-dealers/east-sussex/haeathfield/toad-hall/15
We bought a much plainer reclaimed fireplace from them before when we renovated our 2 bedroom Victorian terrace in Brighton. I was initially skeptical assuming an “antiques shop” would be more expensive than a reclamation yard, but in the case of this lovely little shop at least, I was wrong! It’s a shame, but what I found about the reclamation yards is that they are overpriced on items like Victorian fireplaces (and I am sure that this is due to the recent rush of renovation shows on TV singing the praises of your local reclamation yard!) Fireplaces with broken and missing hand painted tiles were stacked up in one yard with price tags around the £400 on them.
Where as “this little beauty” I found on a ramble to to Toad Hall Antiques – a steal at £245 for the reclaimed Victorian insert and around £180 for the new surround which is made to size. Within 2 weeks our fireplace arrived at “Fairlea” .. it’s just a shame that we haven’t quite finished the dining room yet …
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