Revealing And Removing History From Our Homestead & Farmhouse 

Love the shape of the fireplace, a burner would look incredible in there and you’ll know it’s safe from smoke leaks

Love the idea of creating a channel into the ditch. I have land issues I’m on a steep hill many natural springs, all was okay until a tractor came into the field to help with land maintenance. This caused a seep which flowed pretty fast and soaked the garden!!! Your water table is high so the more drainage you can add the better. Amazing job

What a discovery day! Days like this make all the endless hours of hard work worthwhile. Cant believe how everything is slowly coming alive.

The amount of work you two have done without machinery is incredible! Well done! Amazing progress guys!

I'm so pleased you removed the old fireplace to reveal that fantastic arch which will look amazing with a stove, so much better! I really did share your excitement. I am totally in awe of the way you both work so darn hard in all weather, you just keep on going! ❤

How awesome is it that your previous neighbours can follow and keep in touch. Great progress again, can't wait to see what the builder says about your fireplace.❤

I love it that you get sidetracked when events happen ( like heavy rain) just like I do. I think that it was actually a good move to make a start on the drainage issue.

Dawn and Ben you are grafters, you put so much of your passion into your videos, the fireplace is going to be gorgeous, well done you both 😊hope your having a lovely weekend xx❤

Dawn and Ben well done on the drainage you have achieved around the outbuildings and getting a waterway along the side of your land.All by manual labour which is some feat in itself. Very well done. You have solved the smoke problem in the bedroom and you are doing the safest thing by putting in a flue liner.It would be impossible to fill in all the holes in the chimney. Glad the surround came out intact.Take care and God Bless you both xx

I’ve only started watching you, but I keep yelling “ you need a tractor “!!! So much easier work and so much quicker!! Good luck 🍀

A lovely little stream with a bridge will be so nice.You are doing a great job.Thanks for posting.

Taking the fireplace out adds so much character and history to the house. It makes it feel so much older.👍

Wonderful you two! Sending good vibes your way!

That pathway between the buildings is going to be a game changer like you say, perfect for getting the water away from your buildings.👍

Incredible work the two of you accomplished. Huge changes already!

It’s all looking fantastic. Great job, you two!

Well, what an exciting episode, the drainage into the ditch that Dawn uncovered and got flowing was a huge step forward. Then for that to be followed by the amazing g unveiling of the arched fireplace, incredible, 😮 🎉 you deserve to be discovering treasure after the graft you have put in with great care. Thrilled for you both here x

Guys I love your little 'stream' I hope to do this on our land at some point soon. I know how hard it is to dig in the 'soil' here, so I totally respect you both for how much you have done by hand. 💪💪❤

How beautiful is that fireplace you have both worked so hard

Very interesting that old fireplace. As lovely as it is, a wood stove will give you a lot more heat,and burn much less wood. ,

You both must be on good drugs as keep on going and working in the rain and that mud. Doing a fantastic job and now getting water to drain from under the out building , slow and small But its moving it. Nice to see the inside of house again and that fireplace now removed and having a big space. Old house with has to be many holes to let fumes through the wall and like the idea of a liner. This house of horrors or mysteries in DIY and getting it cleaned up is keeping your viewers on the edge of their seats. Well done and get to have a Nice St. Patricks weekend with some green food and green Guinness.

Sooo much in today's video! I can't believe the lane belongs to the same house - and I kind of never believed you had that much land, it was so overgrown. When Ben said you'd reached your water storage goal, I thought to myself, "and another 5,000 gallons running through the lot." Once you get roofs back on the outbuildings you should be able to collect and store a lot more for your use and also cut down on the swamp conditions. It's amazing those buildings' footings aren't washed away. You should have pretty loamy soil as it's just been left for leaves and plants to decay for so many years. It would be interesting to see, Ben, if the bedrock is only a few feet below the dirt all across the property. That would explain a lot about the water retention issues. I'd be tempted to plant some butternut squash seeds in that huge tree trunk this summer. How exciting is that fireplace??? I have to admit that I wasn't a fan of the surround; I thought it was some 1930s-50s tile. If it's wood - now *that's* got potential! Exposing the original fireplace opening is so exciting! The lime mortar was falling off due to damp; and the mortar up the flue probably fell out due to the rain and damp over the years. If you can patch up as far as you can reach, just to stabilize the stone, you should be able to drop the liner and attach it to a lovely wood or pellet stove. You have plenty of room, now, for a nice sized one that can be a feature in the room and heat much of the ground floor. I'd mortar as much of the stone as I could reach and render over it, paint it white, and get a big wood stove. Even, if you could find it, one of the old enamel ones that have an oven and a hot plate on top so you can boil your tea water while you watch TV. 😉 Do you watch Sean's World on RU-vid (in your spare time)? He's a builder who worked with the Pethericks for years, but now has his own channel where he's renovating some cottages that are hundreds of years old. In the one where he lives, he has a gorgeous wood stove in the living room. The cottage he's renovating had exactly the same issue with smoke and deteriorated chimney mortar. He's patched what he can, for structural support, and dropping a flue liner. I never cease to be impressed at the amount of hard graft you two put in in a day. I, for one, would turn tail and run in that rain! 😳 I'm beyond thrilled you are getting so many views on your channel. Every ad penny counts toward that kitchen stove!

Its always research, it is never procrastination ;)

Makes my day when you post a video. Everything is slowly coming together!! You probably feel like you are just slogging along, but in reality you are getting much accomplished. The fireplace project is going to be interesting. Still wonder about the wonky one upstairs. Wonder who thought that was a good idea? An older house I lived in was built by a man named Fred. When I lived there Fred was long deceased, but no matter I carried on long one-sided conversations with Fred, wondering aloud about his reasoning behind some of his curious placement of light fixtures, no room for sink in bathroom, outlets........the list just kept growing. I hope to meet him one day when I leave this earth. Kinda fond of Fred. I've never had or wanted a new home. Old houses are just so much more interesting.

The nice cast iron fire surround was manufactured by the Falkirk Iron Co. However for safety and efficiency reasons a wood burning stove is the better option. We initially had a similar cast iron fireplace in our stone farmhouse but replaced it with a stove. The stove installation is critical - flue should be lined with flexible liner and insulating infill.

Wow what an amazing discovery fireplace wise. When its all finished it will look proper good. Have loved this episode.

You've mentioned that the outbuildings might be 200 years old. Do you suppose that the building beside the lane which you don't own was at one time a cottage where people lived? If that were the case, they would have had a well somewhere nearby. You might be able to dig or drive a hand pump well near the bottom of the property. Would probably not be good for drinking but could be used for a vegetable garden or animals. The fireplace removal has provided an opportunity to learn lime mortar repair :) Always enjoy your videos and seeing the progress you make every day.

I have had a home with an open fireplace and then converted with a liner to a wood stove and I can say that the wood stove was more efficient for heating than the open fireplace. The open fireplace seemed to take as much of the warm air up the flue as it did heat the room. Especially while you were letting the fire die out before you went to bed and could risk closing the damper on the fireplace.

agree with all comments, happy St Patricks Day!🍀🍀🍀

Probably best to install a French drain at the base of that out building to facilitate better drainage. Crack on!

It's amazing how much you've improved this land from where you were just 6 or 7 weeks ago, and all by hand too. I don't know where you get the bloomin energy.

Well hello there, on your intro, with you bringing the long piece of wood over to ditch, i thought oh the they are going to build a wonderful wonky wooden bridge over the ditch. Good job on the dotch by the way its great to see water draining away like that. Love the fireplace discovery. You could easily inset a stove into that space, save taken up more of the room. Congrats on the 4k, you should have many more. Hope you have a nice weekend.

Gutters on those old buildings would help immensely too. At least the building you're working in front/behind of now. Since you've got the edge of that tin roof to use you can funnel all that roof water right to that ditch you dug. That will really help the wetness a lot in that bedrock field you are working in.So smart going digging that ditch. On those backfields that you cleared some type of ditch running down the center of that field crossing under the wood chips so widthwise not lengthwise in the field. That would really help funnel water into that bigger ditch that you got and cleared. Then you could make a little stone bridge or something to go over the bridge. Which would look really quaint.

Great to see you have passed another milestone in subscribers! 🎉

Ohhh brilliant !!! Thoroughly enjoying the drain digging and excavation and then you move on to fireplaces !!!! A dog grate would be perfect in the open fireplace ,i can just imagine it but because of the smoke escaping you will need the liner. So a multifuel stove with 2 opening doors at the front ,and the exposed stone behind will be perfect !!!!......in my opinion 😂😂😂😂

What an amazing week for you guys I had to wait until this evening to catch up busy week at work spent the week in court now I’m going to enjoy my babies this weekend. I hope you guys have a fabulous weekend. Thanks for all the sharing that you do take a little time for yourselves.

I have been following you since you lived in the tent. Hardworking team. Cannot wait to see what you accomplish next.

Hi folks, some fantastic work with the ditches and I think the changed format to less but longer filming is also working well. Now I have to mention this but while you were both busying with the fireplace the two little cats chasing a plastic roller stole the show!😂😂. Anyway take care and enjoy.

You've got a wee stream on your land! How cool is that - well done both for figuring out the water flow! All hard physical graft, but worth it! And the find behind the fire, what a surprise. Wonder if there was some kind of small range there once? Really enjoyed watching. Many thanks again! Kxx

You both are great workers digging out trenches and uncovering a beautiful fireplace

In Ireland, it's called a dyke that the water runs through a ditch is a mount of land separating fields

Certainly looks like the original fireplace. I like originality but a liner solves the smoke issue and a multifuel stove is vastly more efficient. Cleaning the interior and repointing the stone and having a free standing stove would look great. Could you re-use the cast iron fireplace upstairs if fireplace opening suitable/wide enough?

Our fireplace has a custom made metal plating in it. The house was built in the 1950's with an open fire.

as long as the chimney isen,t leaking smoke or fume,s into the house, you don,t need a flue liner,

Hello Dawn and Ben, that arched fireplace is amazing! If you keep it, maybe you could raise the height of the fire surround so you could still use it x

Many people during the 16th 17th and 18th centuries died of carbon monoxide poisoning from smoky fires. I would go with the flue liner and reduce your risk of fire and and poisoning and I think your builder would agree with me. Open fires are also notorious for not providing much warmth.

So much work getting done ye are both brilliant! The water on the land is so hard to manage at times!

have a restfully weekend both

Amazing discovery

Hi There , The stream is an exciting development ! Nice work :)

What an improvement, this fireplace. The plaster around would probably hide a beautiful natural stone wall which needs to be repointed. Much more character now. Great find

What an amazing discovery hidden behind the fireplace. I do hope y’all can restore most of it. On the channel Sean’s World, he did work on an old fireplace. Good luck to you both.

Wow! Could you not expose the stone bricks around the fireplace? I love the arch, what a surprise. And this post has over 1k likes, you're becoming celebrities!

Can't wait to see the bridge! Sounds like a lovely idea! And you could plant some nice things on either side or something. But I'm sure it will be a very nice feature, however you set it up. 😊

I see a proper french drain in your future. Maybe piping part of the drainage in the front of the property to divert into the stream--which can double as both diversion to manage the land as well as a lovely feature. There is a fair amount of running water there--without having the rest of the property managed yet. But, it is Ireland--so water, water, everywhere. Hopefully you will not need to have a rebuild of the fireplace. I had to do that before the new liner could be placed. But TBH, as mad as I was at my surprise, I did feel safer when all was done. Looking forward to Bob the Builder doing his magic .

I started watching just recently, as you were clearing all that land, which has been EPIC! This episode got me more interested in your house. I'll have to go back and catch up! 😁I also love watching the kitties. One of them stole the show there for a bit behind your back, chasing that toy. 😸

oh wow the fireplace. I would go with the arch and find somewhere else for the iron/tile fireplace that was there. Even if it is a fake fireplace in a room to give a focal point. I'd still go with the flue, but wire brush the stones and repoint them and all round the front edge too. Congrats on the 4k mark.

Lots of work done this week watch your backs and toes i'd put some extra thought into that fireplace for a finish lots of potential there.

No ! I love the victorian mantle ,with its odd paintjob i would never remove it! Don t think the house is much older, it s really original

Hobbit tracks all over the back garden (teasing). In the trench that you dug out at the base of the outbuilding line either side with stone and put stone slabs overtop to make a path with a drain tunnel underneath to the ditch. You can do the same thing between the outbuildings so that you can still walk between the buildings with the drain tunnel under the path. Amazing job outside!! The fireplace removal is wonderful too. fill some of those holes inside the fireplace to keep critters out even if you use the flue liner / chimney pipe. I am curious what your chimney guy will say about being able to repair it without a chimney pipe? Never hurts to look at options. If you take a look around some antique shops or recycle places you might be able to find a stone/marble fireplace and mantle surround that would be better than the wooden one you took off. I wonder what the original fireplace looked like or if that insert was the original? Did you find a date or the Iron workers business operation dates? You know I love a good rabbit hole

A mixed bag of jobs, and an interesting video, glad you gave us a look up the chimney, I kept thinking give us a look-up. and also a little tip, work outside when it is dry, and vice versa.😁🥰 love you. xxx❤

What a great video tonight. Loving the arch fireplace also kitty watching 👍 😂

❤

Great video and great work.Lovely fireplace great ebd to busy day.

I love following these projects especially the old Irish home restorations and yours is a beauty… well done so far on all you’ve achieved, you guys are amazing and so inspiring. I would definitely do this if I had someone to share the dream 👌✨

That was so cool. I love watching the property come back!

Amazing find with the fireplace. Do you still plan to put the other fire back now you have discovered this. A nice cast iron fire basket would look amazing. Well done on the drainage/ditch. Had to be done to get the water away from the house. Have a great weekend and look forward to your next video

Great!

I hope the woodworm treatment and then wood hardener works and you can save the mantle.

More great progress if u get time look up these tools by spear and Jackson. Traditional Irish spade and a long tail shovel. Also a pick axe. These tools are proper for doing ground work. Builders suppliers and Agri suppliers always stock theses. These tooos even feel good and are well balanced. Get us an update on the D2 algicide from a few weeks back

Wow that fireplace is😍,maybe your builder will have local knowledge of it.maybe was used for cooking in originally? If only it could talk 😊.

Well, too bad that you’re losing the open fire but having a wood burning stove venting to a steel liner will be very much better and, most importantly safer. Looking at that fireplace it may inspire some unique ideas.

It would look good if u take stones while u have the back dug and leveled and make u a big stone patio for a table! U can also put a roof on the end building and open the back up and use it for a table grill sink just a nice out side place. I've seen several channels do that! Watch One Turet short of a Chateau she fixed a beautiful place In 1 of there out buildings get used tin off marketplace and any building materials u might need to roof it and u2 can build a table or find 1 at a 2nd hand shop..Go look at there's 1 side is open and out where the dirt is put a stone patio ❤😊

Wow what a wonderful find, have a great weekend too, love and blessings from Scotland xx

It appears that the Victorian insert has bolts on the back of it. Depending on the size of the log burner you plan to use, it might be that you could remove the log grate section and re-use the iron surround with the tiles whilst inserting the new burner where the grate was? Just a thought. Great discovery of the arch, though!

Beside that Dawn must have Duch ancestors Digging ditches en canal water… have you thought of a woodburner were you see fire and wat heats your water system? They are amazing and have and have a 90% efficiency burning wood. We had one and will build a new one in our new old house.

First, I’ve been so excited because yesterday we noticed that the tulip poplar were bursting with blossoms and so were the non-fruit baring pear…so, spring has hit Maryland. Ben I felt saw the dirt on your forehead, then the soot smudge on the side of your nose…definitely, signs you’ve been busy. Dawn, I don’t know too much about Victorian domestic, but I bet you’ve been googling like I have. Seems that arch was very common in Victorian houses. I’m wondering if there was a different hearth there and it was switched out to a smaller square one in the early 20th century. The style of the mantle and the tiles look more early 20th, than mid 19th, but again it’s out of my wheelhouse. Are you two planning to put a retaining wall to keep the “walkway” from getting filled up again? I was quite shocked how much water was coming out of your out buildings. Enjoy your weekend…I’m working on my kitchen garden tomorrow.

Congratulations on hitting 4K subscribers, and the drainage ditch is coming along nicely! We actually got a bit of rain today which is rare for us, but much appreciated! 😊 Love you guys! 💚

Could that have been the first original fireplace, and the fancy Edwardian one put in later?

Respect to both your crocs 👌👌👌👌🤣

I love watching you two! I know it's hard work but all your progress looks so good. Keep up the good work 😊

Nice work guys. Enjoy what you are doing lots of progress being made. Keep up the good work

Hello, you are really working hard, and achieving a hell of a lot , 👍👍the blogs are so good 😁

Looks like you need to use an a tree felling saw to cut that stump into a manageable size.

wow what a wonderful find behind your fireplace. You need a small boy to go up the chimney to see the condition or could you hire a snake camera ? I know you love paddling in mud but I would suggest you prioritise the ditch and your drainage channels that way the land will be much drier and easier to move. Have a good weekend XX

Very hard work congrats✌✌✌✌ Ι feel a bit anxious watching a program with a cup of coffee in hand😇😇😇🙈🙈🙈 Love from Greece❤

Get the liner in

Have you looked into making a french drain around the house.

I think all the soot would have to be scrubbed off for it to be rendered to block holes. So liner would make sense. But losing the open fire😢.

The word I was looking for was Chin saw

Well Done. 4000 subscribers. Congradulations.

A good video, really enjoyed it. Much love from Oklahoma USA Jackie 🇺🇸💖 PS oh my gosh the fireplace fine is fantastic. Now can you guys have an open fire? Yeah I bet you're going to need a steel flue put up there because when you have to line the whole thing because all the bricks up where I bet have cracks in them? Man, Ben cleaned up that fireplace mess up super fast 😂 And his face at the end lol 🤣 Mary Poppins

Thanks!

Chain saw

What a very productive day with exciting discovery’s. See you Monday.

Ey up here is another subscriber. ❤

Undoubtedly the pair of you will have abs of steel with all that raking and pushing about. doubt you could seal the inner chimney safely, flue would be best and easier. However, I've seen flues attached to hoods of sorts that make an open firepit possible. someone a long while ago, assessed the lay of the land and designed drainage to flow to the bottom of it. Been loving the music and editing you have been doing Ben, and I think a lot as well. Love that your channel shares a bit of your lives and not just about project facts and acts like a lot of them. Crack on!

What a fantastic discovery, my parents found a beautiful arched brick fireplace about this size in their home many years ago, they pointed the bricks at the bottom put a flue and wood burning stove in, the heat from it was amazing, hope you don’t cover it up, it’s a lovely feature, you two are definitely hard working, garden is looking great!

I sure have missed you guys for about a week I guess, working on my own little house making hay while the sun shines as you guys do! Now it’s catch up time, but that’ll be fun too!! (I should’ve gone back and watched the missed ones in order! ) Oh well! It’ll be fun anyway! Take care!

Oooh marvelous finding the original fireplace. I confess that I never felt the hearth was original and wondered what was behind. After seeing a few other channels that have revealed fireplaces, it isn't unusual to find that the original width of the opening is only revealed after a vertical layer of side bricks (left and right of the opening) are removed. Do you think your opening could be wider or do you think that's the original width?