Great Fire Surrounds & Chimney Pieces

The great fire surrounds and chimney pieces we so admire were originally made for a specific room or space, hence high quality antique fireplaces rarely look as good in their new settings as they did in their original home.

We hand carve our bespoke pieces using the appropriate harmonic proportions and ratios; either classic or Gothic, whilst taking into account the size and height of the room they are to furnish. Correct proportions are more important now as we are generally living in smaller rooms.

Fire surrounds make up a large part of our work but as stone masons and architectural sculptors we produce all types of carved ornament and dressed stone.

I was lucky to have a connected training, which means my apprentice master started his training in 1948, his master 1920's and his 1890's and so on. This type of connected experience produces a passed down knowledge and visual tips such as ocular rectification little known today. I also work daily with chisels passed down to me which originally belonged to all the people above.

We carry on the tradition of the great London companies of craftsmen such as F. G. Anstey, John Daymond, Gilbert Searle, William Aumonier and Falmer & Brindley. Never dismissing the old tools or techniques purely for the sake of  "progress".

http://sjcritchley.com