Funny that, my friends always say I'm a bad influence on them???!!!! Let's have a piccy of your fire when you get it then!!!!xxx

LOL, well then it must be your fault
I need to put a chimney in before I can have a real fire! OH will strangle me

I've got a link to a supplier here who does the curved top ones but their web site is rubbish.

Shall I send you a page from their mailshot Might give you some ideas but I'm sorry they won't fit in my suitcase or I would offer to bring you one

Like I said, the burner does not have to be in the fireplace as such. If it helps, mine is a hunter 6 (they are different now) and the rear chimney is just under 450 mm from the base at its highest point, so it would fit. Building regs don't provide for a register plate installation so if you inquire with a manufacturer then they can give you the advice you need.

The hearth can be made from any non combustible material such as concrete, but a nice slab of marble or granite or slate would not look amiss, mine is ceramic tiles on a concrete base.. The outlet should actually be a T piece type with a soot and debris trap at the bottom, so it comes out of the back of the burner and then exits to the register plate above with a the lower part of the T facing downwards with a removable cap on it to allow cleaning.

There a many types that will fit in this way, its not the ideal as its best if the flue angles up into the chimney or flue, but it is a compromise that works fine and I can boil a kettle on the top of mine (albeit slowly) with wood as fuel so it is quite effective.

They are not cheap to buy, but shop around and you can get a good deal.

Yes please H, that would be great! Thanks

Thanks fluffy, in actual fact, I don't think you could shove a fire in there right to the back, because of the chimney bit being angled? So, it might actually have to sit at least half way out or something? The hearth is quite wide and is made of brick too,(there's 1200 bricks in that fireplace!!) two courses coming out lengthways, but it could do with another coarse of bricks if it's got to sit out of the hole, but then a lot of these fires ARE quite narrow in depth anyway? I've definitely made my mind up I'm getting one, and I thought it will cost in the region of about £500 (ish). I will get a local fireplace company out I think this week and see what they think about it. Thanks for the help.

Oh H - Did you not realise when you were designing your fireplace, that 20 years latter you'd want a stove to fit in there .............If only we could turn the clock back eh
It's a shame 'cos I've just seen one with a curved top and a glass door which would look good in your fireplace, there's even a little shelf where Georgie could put his bones to keep them warm but it's 950 high (to the top of the curve) X 485 wide X 470 deep and on special offer of apprx. 110 pounds

Like people have said it seems one mounted just in front would look good and there's plenty of choice if you're not wanting to fit it in the arch.

:smt044 :smt044 Oh H, you are funny!!! Perfect - except for the height though!!!! I don't really want to hide that arch, it's a sort of feature. I remember when the poor chap was building this, we had the January storm back in 1989 the year after the big storm in 1987, and he kept coming in and out with his barrel full of bricks, and then I kept pestering him about the mantlepiece coz I wanted what I wanted and he said I couldn't have it coz they'd fall off, but needless to say I did and they didn't! Lol! The archway was quite a nightmare for him too, he had to make a template in ply and looking at it now on the right hand side, I think he must have had a bent bit of ply! Lol!

I really can't imagine any self respecting brick even contemplating falling down if you ordered them to stay up

I'm told that arches are the 'acid test' for brickies, if you can do one then you're pretty good. All in all I think he did a good job for you and like you say it has lasted all this time hasn't it