Georgian Fireplaces

Buying guide

Georgian fireplaces are about restraint. Where a Victorian fireplace might be crowded with castings and tiles, a Georgian one relies on proportion, simple mouldings and a well balanced surround. That makes the style surprisingly versatile, at home in a townhouse, a farmhouse or a modern room.

What makes a fireplace Georgian?

The Georgian period ran from 1714 to the 1830s. Fireplaces of the time drew on classical architecture: symmetrical surrounds, plain or reeded pilasters, simple frieze panels and modest decoration such as paterae (small round motifs) at the corners. Fire openings were often squarer than the arched Victorian designs that followed, and grates were set within a plain cast iron or stone surround.

Our Georgian style range

The Royal comes in black or full polish; the Alice and Somerset surrounds in black or full polish. Carron's Regent cast iron surround, in a Regency style from the end of the Georgian era, is another option in black.

Putting a Georgian fireplace together

A Georgian style fireplace is usually built from parts: a surround, an insert or fire inside it, a back panel if needed and a hearth.

• Surround. The Alice or Somerset in cast iron, or a solid oak or pine surround with simple lines. Check the surround opening against what will go inside it.
• Insert or fire. The Royal insert for an open fire, or a gas fire or stove sized to the opening. The Somerset's adjustable opening, 940mm to 1020mm wide, helps with fitting.
• Back panel. For a gas or electric fire, Carron's three piece black granite back panel, 970mm x 970mm, suits solid fuel or gas.
• Hearth. Carron granite hearths: four piece hearths for solid fuel, one piece for gas (smaller sizes also solid fuel).

A Georgian surround with a modern fire

A Georgian style surround does not have to hold an open fire. Its plain, wide opening suits several kinds of fire:

• A log burner standing on the hearth within the opening, where the cast iron surround's non-combustible frame helps with clearances. See small log burners.
• A gas fire set into a back panel within the surround, fitted by a Gas Safe engineer. See inset gas fires.
• An electric fire in a back panel, for a room where the chimney is not used. See inset electric fires.

In each case, check the surround's opening against the fire and its manual, and size the hearth for the fuel.

Where a Georgian fireplace works

Proportion matters more than ornament in this style. Centre the surround on the chimney breast with equal margins either side, keep the hearth in line with the surround's width, and hang anything above the mantel so it relates to the opening below. Georgian style suits Georgian and Regency townhouses and terraces, of course, but its simplicity means it also works in later houses with high ceilings and in modern rooms where a busy Victorian casting would feel out of place. A black cast iron surround against a pale wall reads as crisp and architectural; full polish brings a little glamour. Keep accessories simple: a plain mirror above, a pair of candlesticks on the mantel. Paint colours of the period were often stone, grey green and soft off-whites, which suit both black and polished cast iron, and a granite or stone hearth in a matching tone finishes the floor.

Fuel and installation

The Royal insert is designed for solid fuel on an open fire with a working chimney and a constructional hearth at least 125mm thick, projecting 500mm in front of the recess and 150mm each side. In a smoke control area, an open fire can only burn authorised smokeless fuel. A HETAS registered installer can fit and certify it, with a carbon monoxide alarm in the room. A gas fire in a Georgian surround must be fitted by a Gas Safe engineer. Cast iron surrounds weigh 55kg to 82kg and must be fixed securely to the chimney breast.