Fireplaces: rising from the ashes They may not end up with quite the views that Lord Grantham enjoys. Nor indeed the use of the 35 fireplaces boasted by Highclere Castle in Berkshire, where the series was filmed. But they can still warm their tweeds in front of a baronial-style fire and they are prepared to pay for the privilege. According to Land Registry figures, sales of seigneurial-sized homes are increasing by 80 per cent year-on-year. In June 2012, despite the recent rise in stamp duty from five to seven per cent, there were 160 sales of properties worth £2 million and over. No question about it, says Carritt, the vogue for demolishing large rustic residences is over. Today everyone wants to restore and refurbish. This has meant the preservation not just of these buildings" exterior fabric, but also of the architectural "black box": the fireplace. Inside it lies a treasure trove of vital historical clues. "The fireplace is the fingerprint of the house," she says. It tells you so much about the people who lived there in the past and about their status. In Tudor times, fireplaces in larger homes became flamboyant and elaborately carved. Quite often, too, the wealth of the owner would be demonstrated by the number of chimneys. Hampton Court Palace, for example, has 241 of them. In the Elizabethan era, wood was requisitioned for sailing ships, which led to the increased use of coal as a fuel. But the fireplace continued to be seen as an indicator of status, with panels of mirrored glass being installed on the wall above. During the Georgian period, explains Carritt, pattern books were introduced. Householders could order the design they wanted, and ownership was opened up to a wider cross-section of people. Then came the Victorians, with their great enthusiasm for tiles, often reflecting their pride in the British Empire. But with the invention of the gas fire at the end of the 19th century, the need for fireplaces had pretty much gone. This left 20th-century estate agents with a problem. However expensive the marble and however intricate the wood, a fireplace in its own right had little significant value. "Not long ago, we were selling a house with five beautiful fireplaces, each notionally valued at around £50,000," she says. The trouble was, we couldn't really justify adding that to the asking price. Nor could the vendors take the fireplaces away and sell them. Unlike a valuable painting, a fireplace pretty much loses its worth once removed from where it is installed. And there lies the question: "How much does a fireplace add to the price of a house?" Anything from £5,000 to £10,000 is the answer. By the same token, though, an ugly fireplace can reduce the price. This is because of the time and energy needed to find a replacement for the space. Not that one should view them solely in financial terms, insists Will Fisher, who runs Jamb, a chimneypiece supplier in south‑west London. "A fireplace is something to celebrate," he says. Just accept the smoke and ashes, in the same way you accept that you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. The joy of a fire is the warmth on your face, with the faintest hint of a draught on your back. Even at the opposite end of the Downton scale, a small cottage, chic apartment or terrace house with an attractive hearth will tend to sell more quickly. It may even achieve a higher price, too. Clearly, the lure of an open fire that so appealed to our ancestors shows no sign of diminishing. With Christmas just 17 days away, the fireplace really is, it seems, the heat of the moment. Keeping the flame alive £ Installing fireplaces is an expert job. Use established suppliers such as Jamb (020 7730 2122; jamblimited.com), or Chesney's (020 7498 5555; chesneys.co.uk), who have their own approved installers. Alternatively, find registered operators through HETAS, which oversees solid fuel domestic heating appliances and their installers (0845 634 5626; hetas.co.uk). If uncertain about air flow through your flue or chimney, contact the National Association of Chimney Sweeps (01785 811732; nacs.org.uk). Don't stash that ash Always be wary of putting used embers into a bag. Will Fisher had a nasty experience when a bag full of seemingly dormant ashes caught fire, and set light to his parked car. "Everyone started screaming, because my dog Harvey was in the back seat," he says. We got him out in time, but it was a close thing. Think small It is far easier to find and fit a modest-sized antique or reproduction fireplace than to source a monster. You can pick up an Edwardian cast-iron combination grate for £600 from Lassco (lassco.co.uk), but for an antique marble piece you could pay anything up to £30,000 and above. Use protection The mesh on an old-fashioned metal fireguard sometimes isn't thin enough. You need a spark guard if you want to stop the friskier embers from escaping. Clean carefully Different fireplaces need different types of cleaning. You can apply polish to a marble or black slate surface, and use soapy water on limestone. But if you apply any kind of liquid other than a protective oil to a cast-iron fireplace, it will rust. See more homes for sale with lovely fireplaces