Streetlife

Well I wish someone had told me what I just posted above when I started looking for a stove, rather than me trawling round stove shops and online to sort out fact from fiction & piece it all together.

To try and be more helpful again:

Chesneys in Battersea, Stonewoods in Wandsworth, Kindle Stoves in Teddington, Stova in Carshalton... all have working stoves (& websites) you could take a look at

Caroline, what you say is pretty much how I feel too. But most of London is smoke controlled and if you are caught using a non-approved, or approved but non-certified, woodburner, or a normal fireplace burning logs, you're in for a hefty fine. In theory. And the bit about going to sleep breathing CO and never waking up is probably also true, although it sounds like a peaceful enough way to go.

I shall buy an approved burner and put it in myself.

Stonewoods in Wandsworth will only install a wood burner if you get your chimney lined.  And that's just an unnecessary £1500 scam, if you ask me.

caroline w. your scepticism about such things does you credit but I would strongly urge you to look at the safety aspects contained in both the stove's own instructions and Building Regs (document J) and get your own installation checked at the very least by Building Control Inspector like Peter W. above (and to get a CO monitor).
Stoves can actually be inherently more dangerous than an open fire in several aspects.
Re: lining i wld offer this information:

In general lining a chimney can vastly improve it's draught and so then help greatly in achieving the woodburner's optimal efficiency. We lined our (perfectly fine) chimney for this reason. A 5kW defra-exempt woodburner can require 5times as much air as an open fire (hence why incomplete combustion risk of CO is greater)
The actual decision to line your chimney can also depend on the condition, location etc of your current chimney and neighbours, etc. One thing you could do is get the chimney sweep ( I assume you will get your chimney swept before installation) to do a "smoke test" as this is not expensive at all.

(As I said before if you live in a detached house with a unlimited supply of free fuel maybe this matters not to you!)

If you are going to install a woodburner yourself, you can also line your chimney yourself as the products are readily available  (I would caution that not all cheaply available flue products of the desired quality) as I would agree lots of Stove companies charge a lot of money for this (plus also don't do it consitently well)

I shall do what I do.  The world (thanks to Blair and Co) has been made paranoid about things that will never happen and over-cluttered with pointless regulations.  I know what is sensible and I shall do what is sensible in my own house.

caroline w. I'm sure you will do what you will do (- it strikes me that's very much your thing!) I do sincerely hope everything works out fine.
I have posted here only to try to be helpful and pass on some info I myself had learned, however I cannot let your last statement go unchallenged on a public forum.
You wrote "things that will never happen" ,well sadly this recent tragic story would evidence otherwise (and I would note the unfortunate family involved were confident they were being sensible too)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1273882/Teenager-dies-summerhouse-wood-burning-stove-leaks-carbon-monoxide.html

Getting back to logs: I bought a boot load today from the Wimbledon Common Ranger's office. He's very friendly and helpful. The price has gone up and will rise again by winter. It's presently £40 for a car boot/hatchback seats up, £50 for a hatchback seats down or estate boot, £60 for MPV, 4x4, or estate with seats down. Cash payments only. The logs are all piled up ready and have been split, but are still very green and will need to season for a year or two before burning. 

I noticed lots of pine cones on the ground in Wimbledon common in the area towards Tibbets Corner. You can collect these and put in fire place very decorative if it's just for display as you said.

In the last few days I found my self very interested on the  “smoke control order” that was described in this post.

 as last year when we did put a conservatory in our house with a multifuel stove.

I been in Wandsworth council web site and I did go trough  all the links provided in the above posts, but I still a bit confuse……..let me put down what I got here with me

The stove is a Vermont interepid II which is quoted in the exempt fireplaces  (which is exempt when burning 16\ (400mm) firewood which has been split stacked and air dried)…..no clue and a bit contradictory  with the smoke control order ….

When the stove was installed I was given a hetas ltd certificate of compliance

Which explain the job done , location, brand of stove, that a new insulated factory made chimney system was installed, carbon monoxide alarm installed and few more details.

Do you think that I should seek advise?

As the installation and material (no stove included ) did cost four digit figure, I don’t want find myself in the position again to be overpriced (if not ripoff) as, to be self-sufficiency still a bit a luxury even so during stis winter, we where abele to make a noticeable saving heating ourselves  with heat logs

To the lady questioning about stove I did get mine second hand for £200 the company is natural fires surrey Google it 

Hi

You can buy logs at Wimbledon Common.  Drive to the windmill, and the logs are piled high near the Ranger's house.    The proceeds go to towards the upkeep of the common.