House and Garden 
chimneys are seldom as grace¬ 
ful as the old ones, partly by 
reason of the thinness of the 
old bricks, which were only 
two inches in thickness. An¬ 
other reason is the practice of 
the old builders in placing a 
wide joint of mortar between 
the thin bricks. The thick¬ 
ness of the mortar is halt an 
inch, and this gives a most 
pleasing effect, which artists 
like Mr. Herbert Railton have 
not failed to depict in their 
charming drawings. 1 
The more common form ot 
cottage chimney is that which 
is placed at the end or side ot 
a house, and is usually a large 
structure. Modern builders 
prefer to build the chimney in¬ 
side the wall of the cottage, 
and contend, with truth, that 
this arrangement makes the house warmer. 
But our forefathers had a shrewd notion ot 
making themselves comfortable, and built 
their chimneys external to the house in order 
1 “Old Cottage and Domestic Architecture,” by Ralph Nevill, F.S. A. 
OLD COTTAGE AT PRINCES RISBOROUGH, BUCKS 
HOUSE IN THE VILLAGE OK LAYCOCK 
to make a snug chimney-corner or ingle-nook 
wherein they could sit and keep warm on 
winter nights, while in the large space above 
they could smoke their bacon. Ingle-nooks 
are tast disappearing, as the modern house- 
wite loves a range and an oven, in¬ 
stead ot the old iron pot held over the 
tire by ingeniously designed hangers, 
by which it could be raised or lowered. 
l'he old farmhouse fireplace always 
had iron firedogs which were beauti¬ 
fully made, and sometimes firebacks 
of good design bearing the initials of 
the owner, or scriptural subjects. 
Unfortunately collectors have robbed 
many of our cottages of their stores 
ot antique pots and curios. Lest 
any of our friends from across the 
water should be tempted too much 
by old chests and furniture that looks 
like Chippendale, and grandfathers’ 
clocks “ that have been in the family 
for generations,” it may be well to 
say that London dealers sometimes 
“ salt ” rural abodes with imitation 
wares and modern antiques, paying 
the cottagers a percentage on the sale 
to the gullible stranger. It is all very 
wrong ! But to return to our chim¬ 
neys. When you see the wide chim- 
1 79 
