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Chimney Sweep in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire

Chimney sweeping in Abbots Langley

The history of Abbots Langley

The village of Abbots Langley has had a long history of human habitation. The first traces of humans living in the area were recorded by archaeologists. The village sits on an area of clay covered by a layer of gravel, and as a result, drawing water has never been an issue; records have also shown that in earlier times water could have been drawn from a well that was just 20 ft below the surface.

In 1045 the Saxon retainer Ethelwine 'the black' granted the upper part of Langlai to St Albans Abbey as Langlai Abbatis, which is Latin for Langlai of the Abbot, now 'Abbot's Langley' the remainder of the area being the kings Langlai. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 the village was inhabited by only 19 families.

The overall area was split into four manors, Abbots Langley, Langleybury, Chambersbury, and Hyde. In 1539, Henry VIII, seized Abbots Langley and sold it to the surveyor of the Kings works, Sir Richard Lee. The Manor of Abbots Langley was bequeathed by Francis Combe in his will of 1641 jointly to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and Trinity College, Oxford. The manors of Langleybury and Chambersbury passed through the Ibgrave and Child families, and in 1711 were conveyed to Sir Robert Raymond who was by then, Solicitor General later Attorney General and Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench. On the death of his son without issue in 1756 the manors passed to the Filmer family. The Manor of Hyde passed to Edward Strong in 1714, through his daughter to Sir John Strange, who left the manor to be shared between his children and their descendents and then to the possession of F.M. Nares & Co which sold the estate to the British Land Company in 1858.

Kitters Green then developed as a separate hamlet by Manor House. The land between Kitters Green and Abbots Langley was bought from the estate of Sarah Smith by the British Land Company in 1866. It laid out plots for development along Adrian, Breakspear, Garden and Popes roads. The development of these plots led to the merger of the two settlements and the loss of Kitters Greens completely separate identity.

The recent Katherine Place development has brought in some very popular retail outlets to the centre and was sold for £2.93 million in December 2005. To the south of the village are Leavesden Film Studios, on the former Rolls Royce airfield, where scenes from movies including GoldenEye, Sleepy Hollow and the Harry Potter franchise have been filmed.

Pope Adrian IV, the only Englishman ever to have become supreme pontiff, was born as Nicholas Breakspear in Abbots Langley around the year 1100. Therefore, Abbots Langley village includes a number of roads named after its famous resident, Adrian, Breakspear and Pope roads.

What Ansell Chimneys do when they visit your Abbots Langley home?

We usually require about half an hour per chimney to do a proper sweep.
It is important that the area in front of the fire is cleared so we have no furniture in the way to hinder access to the fireplace and it protects your valuables too. An area of about 6 square feet should be adequate.
On certain properties, the chimney may be swept through an external hatch in the chimney breast. Although these are great from our point of view for access, we will still need to come into your home to ensure that no debris from the sweeping process has fallen into the fireplace or any soot has fallen into the room, causing a mess.
With the use of dust sheets over the fireplace, we effectively seal off the area as an extra barrier against chimney debris getting into the room. However, if soft furnishings or delicate objects are close to the fireplace, we ask that you cover these or remove them just to make sure they are safe.
You will not be required to cover all the furniture and surfaces in the room where the fireplace is, unless you really want to.
All we really need is somewhere close by to plug in our powerful vacuum cleaner. We can then commence the sweeping process with our brushes, rods and the vacuum to remove the soot and any other debris that is dislodged.
Ansell Chimneys will leave your room, fireplace and chimney clean and safe to use once again.

Call Ansell Chimneys out to Abbots Langley when it's convenient for you

To be certain of a safely operating chimney, you should have them swept about once a year. The most sensible time to have your chimney swept is during the warmer months, as you are unlikely to be using the fire. Like so many things that happen annually, it's all too easy to forget to book them in time, so to get around this problem Ansell Chimneys offer a useful reminder service and will give you a call annually or bi-annually, the choice is yours.

Ansell Chimneys keep your Abbots Langley home clean and dust free

Most people think that chimney sweeping is one of the dirtiest procedures around, but the method Ansell Chimneys use means that very little soot, dust or debris will find its way into your living space. We offer a very clean service so you can keep your Abbots Langley home clean.

Why not ask Ansell Chimneys for advice on sweeping your chimney in Abbots Langley

Ansell Chimneys really are the experts, If you are experiencing a lack of draw on a chimney, or smoke finding its way back into your room, give us a call; we are always very happy to provide advice on what could potentially be a life threatening situation.

Ansell Chimneys advice is free of charge. If you can't use your fire because it's dangerous, you will be missing out on the homely glow a real fire brings during the winter months. So why not give us a call and get that open fire up and running again.

Cost of chimney sweeping services

Our prices are based on the property location and number of chimneys that need sweeping. Please contact us for a no obligation quote. As Abbots Langley is not far from our head office, jobs here will not attract a higher quote.

Birds nests and blockage removal in Abbots Langley

One of the first signs that an animal is making a home, or has previously made one in your chimney is that there will be twigs, leaves or other debris in the fireplace that has fallen from above. The most frequent culprits that like to set up residence in your chimneys tend to be some of the carrion birds, such as crows and magpies and occasionaly squirrels. There are plenty of these creatures around Abbots Langley and as the town expands, their natural habitat is decreased. This simply means they will look for an alternative place to roost or nest, as the number of trees diminishes.

Any obstruction in a chimney can be potentially lethal! It's not just the solid fuel fires that are a problem either, even a gas fire will release carbon monoxide back into the living space if it can't escape safely up the chimney. When it comes to a fire that burns solid fuels, the chimney can become blocked resulting in smoke coming back into the room or a chimney fire could start, causing a huge amount of expensive damage to the rest of your home.

If you think there is a blockage in your chimney, don't wait for something bad to happen, give us a call immediately. We will remove the blockage and in doing so, be in a better position to tell you why it happened in the first place. For example, there may be a loose or dislodged brick or piece of mortar. It may even be a nest from a bird or squirrel and a bird cap or cowl may well be the answer to prevent it happening again in the future.

Because birds eggs and nests are protected by law in England and Wales and that there may be hatched baby birds in a nest, we will not remove nests during the breeding season, which is May & June, this ensures that the young have had a good chance to leave the nest. After all, there are fewer birds around Abbots Langley already because of loss of habitat, light pollution and the increase in the number of cats that are kept as pets. Ansell Chimneys like to ensure that we don't contribute to the decline of our little feathered friends.

Bird cages, caps and cowls fitted in Abbots Langley

Should your chimney require a cap or cowl, Ansell Chimneys will have the one to suit your property to protect against the following:

Birds or squirrels getting into and possibly nesting in the chimney
Our caps and cowls prevent rain from getting into the chimney
A good quality cowl or cap stops down drafts
To prevent bird and rain entry to a disused chimney, leaving the homeowner with an option to start using a fire in the future without having to clear many years build up of debris.

It is vital to fit the correct type of bird cage, cowl or cap, or problems may occur. With Ansell Chimneys valuable experience, we can identify your particular needs and advise you on the correct type for your situation. We will also look at the other houses nearby to ensure we fit one that is in keeping with the Abbots Langley area.

Ansell Chimneys fit all the major types of cages, caps and cowls, so let us know what you want to keep out of your chimney and we can tell you what would be the best option for you.

Ansell Chimneys have a selection of cowls in our vans to demonstrate what they look like and what they are most effective at keeping out of the chimney. We will then arrange to come back to Abbots Langley to install the correct cap or cowl to your chimney.

Fitting the caps and cowls is a relatively straightforward job and we do everything we can to avoid the need for scaffolding or other specialised access equipment, a ladder will usually be sufficient.

Fortunately, Abbots Langley is well within our 'areas covered' range so this will not push the price up at all for either chimney sweeping or bird caps and cowl fitting.

Smoke tests

After Ansell Chimneys have swept your chimney, we carry out a quick, simple but effective test to ensure there is the correct draw and no smoke or other pollutants can flow back into your living space. This is quite simply a match-like device that smokes profusely when burnt and is placed just above the site of the fire. If the smoke is neatly drawn up the chimney, the fire will be safe to use.

So if you live in Abbots Langley and need your chimney swept, why not call or email Ansell Chimneys and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Services provided and areas covered:

Why not call Ansell Chimneys now for a free quote

If you would like to know more or are interested in a quote we would be happy to help. Phone us on 01923 661 614, email us at info@ansellchimneys.co.uk or fill in our enquiry form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.

Ansell Chimneys

t. 01923 661 614 | m. 07941 282 325 | m. 07976 318 160 | Email us

t. 01923 661 614
m. 07941 282 325
m. 07976 318 160
Email us

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