Hexham · Northumberland
Hexham is a stone-built market town, gathered around its great abbey on a terrace above the Tyne, with the hills of Tynedale rising on every side. Plenty of its houses were built with fires in mind, and for many local families a log burner is still the heart of the home through long Northumberland winters.
Tyne & Ember installs wood-burning and multi-fuel stoves in Hexham and the villages around it, from town houses near the Market Place to farmhouses up towards Slaley and Acomb. We begin with a site assessment, then provide a written quote describing the stove, flue and hearth work. Where your home is listed or in the conservation area, we flag what consents you may need before anything is fitted.
Much of central Hexham is built from local sandstone under slate roofs, with Georgian and Victorian town houses along streets such as Priestpopple and around the Market Place. These homes often have several chimneys and tall, slightly irregular flues. Stone stacks can weather badly where they meet the roof, and flues may have bends that make sweeping and lining more involved. We inspect the stack and run a smoke test before advising on a liner sized to suit your stove.
Victorian and Edwardian villas on the higher ground around the town usually have generous fireplaces, sometimes with original surrounds worth keeping. A stove can often sit within the existing opening, with a register plate and liner, so the character of the room is preserved.
Beyond the town, rural properties are a large part of what we see: stone farmhouses, converted barns and cottages with thick walls. Barn conversions frequently lack a chimney, so a twin-wall flue through the roof is the usual answer, routed to respect beams and roof timbers.
Hexham also has plenty of twentieth-century and newer housing on its outskirts. Those homes follow the same approach as anywhere else: use the chimney if there is one; if not, plan a twin-wall system with proper clearances and an air supply that matches the stove.
Northumberland's smoke control areas are concentrated in the south-east of the county, in the former Wansbeck and Blyth Valley districts, Morpeth and a handful of other towns and villages. Hexham and the rest of Tynedale are not on the council's published list, so most Hexham homes can burn wood on a standard stove. As orders apply to defined areas, confirm your address with the council before you buy.
Wherever you live, burn dry fuel. Firewood sold in England in units below two cubic metres must carry Ready to Burn certification, showing moisture of 20% or less, and every new stove must meet Ecodesign limits. Hexham's valley setting can trap smoke on still winter days, so a clean, hot fire matters for neighbours too.
More information is on Northumberland County Council's smoke control page.
Our services in Hexham
Hexham homes range from listed town houses to remote farmhouses, so our work here covers everything from careful liner installs in old stone stacks to full twin-wall systems in barn conversions. These are the five services we offer. Each begins with a site assessment, and you can request a quote whenever you are ready.
Planning and fitting a new wood-burning stove or log burner, from checking your chimney and hearth to commissioning the stove and talking you through using it safely. We plan and fit wood-burning stoves for homes in Newcastle, across Tyne & Wear and the wider North East, starting with a site assessment so the stove suits your room, your chimney and the local smoke control rules.
Fitting multi-fuel stoves that can burn wood or approved smokeless fuels, with the right liner, hearth and air supply, and clear advice on what you can legally burn locally. A multi-fuel stove can burn logs or approved smokeless fuels, which gives you flexibility through a North East winter. We fit them in homes across Newcastle, Tyne & Wear and beyond, and make sure you know what you can…
Swapping an old, oversized or inefficient stove for a modern Ecodesign model, with the chimney, liner, hearth and ventilation checked so the new stove works safely. If your current stove is old, smoky, cracked or simply the wrong size, we can replace it with a modern model. We serve homes in Newcastle, across Tyne & Wear and the wider North East, and check the whole installation…
Lining existing chimneys and fitting new flue systems for stoves, including twin-wall flues for homes without a chimney, all planned around a proper inspection first. A stove is only as safe as the flue it's connected to. We assess chimneys and plan lining or new flue systems for homes in Newcastle, across Tyne & Wear and the wider North East, usually as part of a stove installation.
Preparing hearths and fireplace openings for a stove, from opening up a blocked fireplace to laying a new hearth that meets the regulations and suits your room. The hearth and fireplace opening are where safety and looks meet. We prepare hearths and fireplace openings for stoves in homes across Newcastle, Tyne & Wear and the wider North East, as part of planning a stove…
Before you choose a stove
Central Hexham is a conservation area, and the town has many listed buildings. Listed building consent is needed for works affecting a listed home's character, which can include a new flue or changes to a fireplace. Northumberland County Council's planning service can confirm your property's status, so check before ordering a stove.
Sandstone stacks in Hexham can be eroded by frost and weather, and flashing where the stack meets the slate roof often needs attention. Problems are much easier to fix before a stove goes in. We look at the stack from outside, test the flue and tell you honestly if a roofer or builder should see it first.
Tall flues in older town houses usually draw strongly, but bends, oversized flues or a stack sitting below a neighbouring roof can cause problems. A correctly sized liner improves draught and keeps the flue gases warm. We consider the height of nearby buildings and trees, which in a valley town can affect how a chimney performs.
Usually, yes. Barn conversions around Hexham rarely have a chimney, so a twin-wall flue through the roof is typical. Exposed beams, vaulted ceilings and timber cladding all affect clearances. Where the building is listed or in a protected landscape, check the planning position early, as the flue terminal will be visible.
Many Hexham households buy logs locally or have access to their own wood. Freshly cut timber needs time to season under cover before it is fit to burn. A ventilated store with a roof keeps it dry. If you buy small quantities, look for the Ready to Burn label.
Hexham's story begins with St Wilfrid, who founded a monastery here in 674. Its Saxon crypt survives beneath Hexham Abbey and is built partly from stones carried from nearby Roman sites; most of the church you see today dates from around 1170 to 1250.
The town was fortified during the Border troubles. The Old Gaol, built between 1330 and 1333, is one of the earliest purpose-built prisons in England and is Grade I listed, while the Moot Hall began life as a gatehouse in the town's defences. In 1464 the Battle of Hexham was fought nearby during the Wars of the Roses, and the defeated Lancastrian commander, the Duke of Somerset, was executed in the town. Almost three centuries later, in 1761, militia fired on a crowd protesting against militia ballots, killing around 45 people.
Hexham has long served the farms of Tynedale as a market town, and the Hexham Courant has reported local news since 1864.
Map of Hexham
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FAQs
Yes. Alongside Hexham itself, we cover Tynedale villages such as Acomb, Wall, Slaley, Dilston and Haydon Bridge. Rural jobs follow the same steps as anywhere else: a site assessment, a written quote, installation and the compliance paperwork. Remote properties sometimes need extra planning for access, which we discuss upfront.
Hexham is not on Northumberland's published list of smoke control areas, so most homes can burn wood on a standard Ecodesign stove. Confirm your address with the council if you are unsure. Whatever the rules, use seasoned wood with less than 20% moisture for a cleaner, more efficient fire.
A solid-fuel stove installation is notifiable building work in England. It must be certified either by an installer registered with a competent person scheme or through Northumberland County Council's Building Control service. Make sure you receive the compliance certificate, as it is often requested when a house is sold.
Yes. Building Regulations require a carbon monoxide alarm in the room whenever a new solid-fuel appliance is installed. We fit one with every stove. Test it regularly and keep the area around it clear so it can detect any problem quickly.
In many cases, yes. If the opening is large enough, a stove can sit inside it with a register plate and liner, leaving the original surround in place. Where the surround is cast iron or marble, we take care not to damage it. We explain any compromises before work begins.
Send us a few details and photos and we will arrange a site assessment and a clear written quote.
From our blog
Regulations & safety
The whole of Newcastle upon Tyne is a smoke control area. Here is what that means for a log burner: exempt appliances, authorised fuels, the penalties that now apply, and how to check elsewhere in the region.
Buying guides
Kilowatts, room sizes and rules of thumb, explained simply. Why an oversized stove causes problems, how insulation changes the picture, and when extra ventilation is needed under Building Regulations.
Stove advice
Not every chimney needs a liner, but many older ones do. Here is how installers decide, what the main liner options are, and how a chimney's condition is checked before and after a stove goes in.