24 Te Good Life Bespoke living All fired up


We round up this year’s most stylish firepits and talk to an expert about how to get them burning (almost) smoke free. Words: Sara Odeen-Isbister


the sun goes down. It’s the perfect way to enjoy your outside space — something many of us craved during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Unsurprisingly, sales of firepits soared as a result. Restrictions may have lifted, but


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the trend for outdoor fires doesn’t seem to be waning and there’s a huge variety of designs on offer, from the simple but stylish to the glorious showstopper.


This season’s hottest firepits At the more budget-friendly end of the scale, we love the clean lines of the Round Fire Pit by Cox & Cox (£125, coxandcox.co.uk), which has been oxidised to give it a rusted look. For a similar price, there’s also the


Barbecook Jura Fire Basket, which is made by Pangaea Home (£119, pangaeahome.co.uk) and has an eye-catching geometrical design. Moving into the higher end of the


market, the Grill Symbol Luna Fire Pit (£1,390, firepit.co.uk) is perfect for larger gardens and gatherings. It’s made of corten steel, a weathered steel known for its longevity and durability, and features an internal basket for the ash. If you’re looking for a firepit that


The Glowbus Dewdrop fire pit PHOTOGRAPH: GLOWBUS


doubles as a stunning work of art, behold the Glowbus Dewdrop (from £3,795, gardenchefs.co.uk). Also made of corten steel, this was designed by artist Andreas Ketels and comes in three sizes. And for every purchase made, Glowbus will donate to organisations committed to the conservation of nature and forests.


Promotional Content • Saturday 2nd April 2022


here’s nothing quite like gathering around a crackling firepit with friends and family as


Building your fire If you’ve not done it before, building a fire for your pit can seem a little daunting. But if you follow a few simple steps, it’s straightforward. Neil Tomas, co-owner of Firepit.


co.uk, says you should start by creating a little ball of tinder, the size of your palm, in the centre of the firepit. Next, build a little pyramid of kindling sticks around the ball of tinder. “You should leave a bit of a gap in order to let air flow, but not too much, as then the flames from the tinder won’t reach the kindling,” he explains. Now, light the tinder. Once your


kindling is burning, add your firewood. “Again, arrange the logs in a pyramid around the kindling, making sure to leave enough of a gap for airflow. If the firewood is taking a while to light, you can add more kindling underneath to keep the heat up,” says Neil.


Keeping smoke to a minimum A burning firepit will always emit a bit of smoke, but it shouldn’t get to the point where it’s filling your garden. Neil says the main culprit of a smoky firepit tends to be the moisture in the wood you’re using. He says: “You should always use dry seasoned wood, ideally hardwood. Even better would be kiln-dried seasoned hardwood. But if you want to dry it yourself, chop it up and leave it somewhere like a shed for at least a year.” Other reasons for a smoky firepit,


explains Neil, include putting anything that contains chemicals on the fire (such as packaging and cheap furniture); not removing debris from the previous fire; and not creating enough airflow when arranging your fire into the pyramid shape.


Top-quality vent controls made in the UK B


Automatic solar-powered and temperature-controlled ventilation for your greenhouse windows As precision engineers sub-con-


ayliss has manufactured its full range of top-quality greenhouse


vent controls


in its Derbyshire factory since 1964 and sells units to many of the best greenhouse manufacturers in the UK. Its range of autovents can be fitted


or clamped to greenhouse windows to open and close them automati- cally using only the warmth of the sun. Tey


require no electricity


at all, being powered by mineral wax that expands and contracts according to how warm it gets inside the greenhouse. Te range can operate both light


and heavyweight windows, louvre windows, conservatory windows and, following more challenging windy weather during the past few years, it also includes a unit that will hold the vent steady in high winds.


tracting to the gas, water and automo- tive industries, Bayliss is also able to make more bespoke designs for more specific requirements — for instance, a National Trust project at Lacock Abbey designed to open heavy sliding roof windows. Bayliss autovents are made entirely


by the close-knit family business team based in Ashbourne, Derbyshire and are exported all over the world. Te XL autovent is designed for


lighter weight aluminium framed greenhouses and is available at a cost of £25 each (fully including VAT and UK postage). Te standard Mk 7 autovent


is designed for timber or heavier aluminium frames and is available at a cost of £37 each (fully including VAT and UK postage).


Made in the UK


Well-known and well-respected in the horticultural world, the Bayliss autovent is now 58 years old. If you’d like to purchase one, please visit the website at baylissautovents.co.uk, phone 01335 342981 or write to Bayliss Precision Components Ltd, Blenheim Works, Airfield Ind Estate, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1 HA for a brochure.


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