Oven ready

When one's dentist's practice is housed in an ancient cottage, the visit is always a bit different. The cottage was built in the mid 16th Century and is very little altered. Lying back in the dentist's chair there is a lovely low beamed ceiling to study. The reception area contains a deep fireplace, to one side of which is this bread oven. To make bread, the recess would be filled with lighted faggots until they burned to ashes and the brickwork was hot. Then the ashes were brushed out and the dough was put in for baking.
Thankfully my dentist's methods are rather more up to date!