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Chimeny crane from a cottage in East Hendred, Oxfordshire. Fixed to side of open fire which would have pots suspended from it to cook food.
This unornamented chimeny crane came from a cottage in East Hendred, Oxfordshire. when fixed to side of open fire, ratchet hanger would be hung from crane like this which would then have pots suspended from it to heat and cook food A chimney crane like this was an important piece of equipment for cooking over an open hearth. A ratchet hanger would be hung from it, from which cooking pots would be suspended. It would have been fixed to the side of an open fire, and could be swivelled to the desired position.

1 chimney crane: metal (iron); good condition

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This very plain unornamented chimney crane came from a cottage in East Hendred, Berkshire. The round, upright bar is 34 inches in length and 1.5 inches from its bottom tip, is an iron ring which is fixed in the hearth. 6 inches from the top is a thich [sic] iron bar 34.5 inches long and rectangular in profile, which is set at right angles to the vertical This arm projects over the fire and its tip is upturned in order that the ratchet hanger does not slip when the crane is in use. A curved unornamented brace connects the vertical bar 10 inches from the bottom to the horizontal bar 15.5 inches along its length from the junction of the two bars. // See also 51/163M.', Lavinia Smith No. 156., Lavinia Smith Catalogue (D60/28) - 'A list of the contents of the East Hendred museum. July 5 1940 // Heating and Cooking // 156. A swinging crane for bringing pots etc over the fire when built low on the hearth.' (Appears to be recorded twice on two separate lists in her catalogue - perhaps one is the original list and the other is an updated version - either by Smith herself or Dorothy Rippon?), Lavinia Smith Catalogue (D60/28) - 'A list of the contents of the East Hendred museum. July 5 1940 // The Fire and Hearth // 1. crane from Albert Stone's cottage.' (Appears to be recorded twice on two separate lists in her catalogue - perhaps one is the original list and the other is an updated version - either by Smith herself or Dorothy Rippon?)

Rippon, Miss Dorothy May Lyddon (Agent)
Stone, Albert