Brrrr! How the Victorians Kept Warm

Lord Nelson's flagship the HMS Victory. Photo credit Jamie Campbell from Emsworth (nr Portsmouth), U.K - HMS Victory, via Wikipedia Commons.

Hi Everyone! E here... Ever wonder how the Victorians kept warm? They would just throw another log on the fire, right?

Not likely... During the Victorian period approximately 5% of England was woods. The once heavily forested land did not have adequate numbers of trees left to support the heating needs of its populace. The forests had been decimated over the centuries for lots of reasons: expanding cities, agriculture, and shipbuilding to name a few. How many trees do you think it took to build the HMS Victory?

Peat was a fairly viable option. Its supply is also limited though, but not to the extent of timber. Peat is a mass of decayed vegetation. Peat turf forms really well in wet bogs. Bogs...bogs...bogs. Hmmm, fun word. Don't be surprised if Jake finds himself knee deep in a bog at some point. So, peat bricks are cut right out of the ground, dried, and burned. Check out this short clip for a demonstration:   

Looks like "G" when she's trying to help me with yard work. Sometimes it's easier to just do it myself, ha ha.

G: Hey! I heard that. :P

A lump of coal. Great stocking stuffer. Public Domain wikipedia commons

Coal was the primary heating source of the Victorians. It was mined right out of the ground, processed, and delivered directly to people's homes.

Most people only heated the kitchen, nursery, and parlor. Bedrooms were not heated unless someone was sick.    

So there you have it! That's how the Victorians kept, well...sort of, warm.
:)
E