English Fireplaces of the Early Modern Period
Tudor: The ornate hoods and canopies of the 13th and 14th centuries fell from vogue and fireplaces became plain and utilitarian.
Usually, the opening was rectangular and a large beam was used to support the chimney. The connection between a good draught and a blazing fire had been realised and thus hearths and chimneys were both wide and deep.
In the Victoria and Albert Museum there is a brick and stone chimneypiece with a stone seat built into one side and plenty of room for the addition of benches and settles. Bread ovens were built into the sides of the fireplace and, in the late 16th century, clockwork spits had been invented to free up servants for other tasks. Firedogs really were dogs! They were trained to run round and round, thus turning the spit.
Renaissance Fireplace
The Italian Renaissance: The neo-classicism of the Italian Renaissance found its way to England via architect Inigo Jones. In an anglicised imitation of the real thing, people started adding wooden columns and carvings to their previously plain fireplaces. The result was a rather eclectic mix of columns, pediments, and coats of arms adorning basic stone and brick fireplaces.
Jacobean: The 17th and 18th centuries heralded a time of plenty for architects such as Inigo Jones, Christopher Wren, and Robert Adam. Classical design as set out by Vitruvius and Palladio needed to be interpreted by professionals because everything was about proportion.
The fireplace itself was square and usually had an iron fireback; sometimes the whole fireplace would be lined with cast iron. Coal began to be used in the cities, although wood continued to be burned in most areas of the country. In large houses, the chimney flues from each room were designed to travel to the roof in a single group.
