Here we are working at another heritage property, this is Birbecks in Sewards End. It is a Grade II Listed Building: Listing No: 1196236, Date listed: 01 Nov 1972. The property, like many heritage properties in the area, is timber framed and has a beautiful peg tile roof.

The central feature of the property is a large inglenook open fire with register plate, hood and inspection hatches. Cleaning such a thing is labour and time intensive as you have to clean each side of the inglenook individually. I know that it is certainly a tiring thing to do and always makes my arms quite tired afterwards. The chimney is constructed with old soft red brick, which is a common feature in the area. It also has old clay/lime pargetting as an interior lining in the chimney. Great care therefore has to be taken when cleaning the chimney so as not to dislodge the old lining. With this chimney I use a soft 24” inglenook brush to ensure that I don’t damage the chimney. The chimney is also of such a height and width that I have to use aluminium stretcher rods in order to prevent the rods/brush folding back on themselves in the chimney. Just some little tricks of the trade!

In all likelihood Birbecks originally was a manor house or the home of a successful Yeoman farmer. It is certainly a very attractive, picturesque house and very characteristic of this part of north-west Essex.