Restoration of Spare Bedroom

Like the family bathroom, this next part of our project isn't really part of the extension, but I am going to write about it anyway.

When Adam's friend Doug came to stay with us as a lodger, we did a hasty repaint of the spare room for him and fitted a carpet.  The carpet has been "unfitted", rolled up and moved out so that we can now do a proper job of restoring this room.  The wallpaper has been mostly stripped now in readiness for a full wall and ceiling plaster skim.

We have, however, uncovered evidence for the old fireplace that would once have been in this room.  There is a stone hearth slab, and a plaster patch that is obviously more recent than the rest of the plaster :

We hadn't decided whether to uncover this or not, but while Jan was at work today I took an executive decision and started on it with my bolster hammer and cold chisel. A blocked up brick arch was soon unveiled :

Containing the obligatory fallen debris and twigs dropped by nesting birds :

Having completed the removal of the infill bricks, and roughly cut out a section of skirting, the fireback is revealed. :

It s quite loose material, but we will probably never use this fireplace, so I have just removed the worst bits.  Looking up the flue it all looks quite clear and stable :

Now we need to shop for a fireplace to go in here.