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Ventilated coal hole

Seen on High Street, Lancaster.

Poorer families, if they could even afford to buy coal, would often have to take it from the front door through the house and put it in a heap or bunker in the back yard.

Middle class households had coal delivered directly to the cellar, via a coal hole in the pavement, like this one.

Coal cellars were often damp, leading to coal becoming damp and difficult to light and keep going. Thus, we see here a ventilated cover to help moisture to be vented to the outside.

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Uploaded on March 19, 2025
Taken on March 12, 2025