Morpeth · Northumberland
Morpeth has a lot of homes that were made for a fire. Stone town houses off Bridge Street and Oldgate, Victorian terraces near the station and solid inter-war semis all tend to have chimney breasts, many of them blocked up decades ago. Opening one back up and fitting a wood-burning stove is one of the most common jobs we see in the town.
Tyne & Ember installs log burners and multi-fuel stoves throughout Morpeth and the villages along the Wansbeck. Every job starts with a site assessment, because an old stone chimney can hide all sorts of surprises, and you then get a written quote that explains the work in plain terms.
Morpeth is an old market town, and the range of buildings is wide. That range matters when planning a stove.
The town centre and much of its older fringe lie within a conservation area. Stone and brick chimneys here are often shared between neighbouring properties and may contain several flues side by side. Before a stove goes in we check which flue belongs to your fireplace, whether it is sound, and whether it needs a liner. If any new flue would show on a front elevation, planning permission may be needed, so it is worth asking the council early.
Many have their original fireplace openings bricked or boarded over. These can usually be opened up and fitted with a new constructional hearth, a register plate and a flexible stainless liner.
Areas such as Stobhill, Kirkhill and Loansdean have a mix of post-war and more recent homes. Some have chimneys, some do not. Newer houses on the edges of town are generally built without one, so a twin-wall flue is the usual route.
Some properties close to the Wansbeck were affected by the 2008 flood. If your fireplace wall was rebuilt or treated afterwards, tell us, as it can affect hearth and flue work.
Yes. Morpeth was not part of Blyth Valley or Wansbeck, but Northumberland County Council lists all of Morpeth town, in three separate areas, as smoke control areas. Nearby Pegswood is also listed. The surrounding countryside may be treated differently, so do not assume a village address follows the same rules as the town.
Inside a smoke control area you need either a Defra-exempt stove used with the fuel it is approved for, or authorised smokeless fuel. We will explain which stoves fit your situation. You can check your exact address using the council's MyPlace lookup, linked from Northumberland County Council's smoke control page. If you buy logs in bags or small loads, look for the Ready to Burn mark, which shows the wood is dry enough to burn well.
Our services in Morpeth
In Morpeth the questions usually revolve around old chimneys: whether they are sound, how many flues they hold and how to reopen a fireplace neatly. The services below cover those jobs, along with flue systems for homes that have no chimney at all.
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
In older terraces and town-centre properties, one chimney stack often contains flues from both houses. It is important to identify which flue serves your fireplace and that it is not connected to a neighbour's. A smoke test and a look from the loft and roof usually answer the question, and it tells us whether a liner is needed.
Fitting a stove inside an existing chimney usually does not, but external changes might. A new flue or terminal that is visible on the front of a house in a conservation area can fall outside permitted development. If your home is listed, consent is likely for internal changes too. Check with Northumberland County Council's planning team first.
Often an old cast iron grate or a back boiler from an earlier coal fire, sometimes just rubble. We open the opening carefully, check the size of the builder's opening and the condition of the brickwork, and then confirm what hearth, lintel and liner work the stove needs.
Stoves need combustion air. Older Morpeth homes are often fairly draughty, so a stove of 5kW or less may not need an extra vent, but larger stoves generally do, and well-insulated or extended homes may need one regardless. We work this out against the Building Regulations at the assessment.
In most cases yes. Old chimneys can have rough, leaky or oversized flues that cool the smoke and allow tar to build up. A correctly sized flexible stainless liner gives a smooth, sealed route for the gases and helps the stove draw properly, which also makes it easier to keep the glass clean.
Morpeth grew up at a crossing of the River Wansbeck, where a stone bridge replaced the ford in the thirteenth century. The de Merlay family built a castle here by 1095; only the gatehouse, now restored by the Landmark Trust, and sections of wall survive. The free-standing clock tower and the thirteenth-century Chantry, home to the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum, are reminders of the town's long life as a market centre.
Admiral Lord Collingwood, Nelson's second-in-command at Trafalgar, made his home in Oldgate, and the suffragette Emily Wilding Davison is buried in St Mary's churchyard, with a statue in Carlisle Park. The town suffered a severe flood in September 2008, which led to new defences and upstream storage. Each spring the Northumbrian Gathering fills the streets with pipers and dancers.
Map of Morpeth
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FAQs
Yes. Northumberland County Council lists all of Morpeth town, across three areas, as smoke control areas. You will need a Defra-exempt stove to burn wood, or else burn only authorised smokeless fuel. The council's MyPlace lookup will confirm the status of a specific address.
Usually, yes. The opening is cleared and checked, the chimney is inspected and normally lined, and a hearth is built that meets the Building Regulations for size and construction. The finished result can keep period features such as a stone surround if they are in good condition.
Yes. We regularly work in villages such as Pegswood, Hepscott, Mitford, Longhirst and Stannington. Pegswood is listed by the council as a smoke control area, but some rural homes further out may not be covered, so we check the rules for each individual address rather than assuming a village follows the same rules as the town.
Yes. Installing a solid-fuel stove in England is notifiable. The work has to be signed off by a registered competent person or through Building Control, and you should receive paperwork confirming compliance. Keep it with your house documents, as buyers' solicitors often ask for it.
Older chimneys can leak, which is one reason lining matters. On top of that, the Building Regulations require a carbon monoxide alarm in the room whenever a new solid-fuel appliance goes in, and we fit one with every stove. Check it monthly with the test button and replace the unit before the expiry date printed on it.
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.