A 1930 Sunbeam stove, water heater and toddler-basher

This stove has just been ejected from the kitchen of a suburban semi in South London built in 1930. I believe it to have been the original boiler.

The top had just one iron-lidded hole. It used to heat water for the taps and bath. It stood 25in high, 14in wide, and weighed over 80kg in all. The 60kg combined firebox and water heater was marked 'Sunbeam', and simply rested upon the three-legged stand. The stove top rested upon the firebox.

It was disconnected from the water only 20 years ago (c.1997), but left in situ for ornamental value, and used to hide the odd bottle of wine or two in the firebox. With the stove located upon a 5in raised hearth, the door to the firebox, which no longer had any glass, was at a perfect height for toddlers to post smaller toys and other items into it. And occasionally a toddler might succeed in pulling open this weighty iron door, which would flop forward and bash the child mightily on the head!