What's this in my fireplace?

[tentative3]

Opened up a chimney breast today and found a fireplace as expected. It has something at the back of it that looks original but we can't figure out what it is. We think it's mostly iron and the top bit is wood, the bit that's a bit like a lintel.

House is c.1840 and it is the crappiest house on the street. We assume it was an open fireplace, without a cast iron surround, given the weird thing at the back and the two cast iron nails/hooks on either side of the chamber but we might very well be wrong, we don't know much!

Anyone any idea what it is?

The pictures’s not very clear but could it be an old bread oven OP?

Pic not very clear but it could be a back boiler. If it is, they can be expensive to remove.

I know, rubbish photos. I'll try and take some better ones tomorrow in daylight.

No way of opening it that we can see. Would go as far as saying for sure it doesn't open. The top measurement is 24cm, flares out to 28cm. Not got height but I don't think it's big enough to be a bread oven? Can't be more than 35cm high.

It's on the first floor of the house (terrace).

Not sure if these are better

I'd like to think it was a magical
Doorway to another realm...but I also think Maybe something to do with an old bread oven?

Looks like a back boiler. Probably used to heat water for a sink in the room of a bathroom next door.

Maybe a safe...?

A spider hotel?

We had a back boiler in an old house, it was removed with no hassle (as far as I know) when we had a new fire fitted.

Chimney inception or a place to burn witches? 😯🤔🤣

What do you intend to do with the fireplace?.

Looks like w back boiler

If it were a back boiler wouldn't there be some way of opening it? The layout of the house may have changed over time but that room is on the first floor and separated from the other rooms on that floor by the staircase, if that makes sense.

We'll probably leave the fireplace open, possibly put a wood burner in. We had originally intended to put a cast iron fireplace in but it looks as if that wouldn't have been authentic and I'm not sure what the implications of the mystery item and the two nails would be anyway for doing that.

Just to add that it's flush to the back wall of the fireplace and the chimney is in a party wall.

No idea what is, but if it were a back boiler it would need the pressure releasing before a fire was used. If they are still sealed the water can expand to steam when the fire is lit and explode.

Uncovered more of it. We're wondering if it's the back of a fireplace.

It looks as though it's half a bedroom fireplace upside-down to cover a hole, flue maybe?

Look at the shape of this one, (yours is not so ornate) imagine it cut in half from top to bottom, then one half of it turned upside down and put in your fireplace.

secondhand-vintage-and-reclaimed.co.uk/listing/25785/original-victorian-cast-iron-bedroom-fireplace-with-fern-pattern-cheshire

Looks like part of a range or part of a register grate fireplace

www.1900s.org.uk/copper-water-heater.htm

I think someone has blocked up a hole using part of an old cast iron fireplace - cast iron breaks when dropped or whacked or could have been cut.