History of the Victorian Cornish Range The ‘Cornish Range’ (sometimes known as ‘The Apparatus’) was more commonly referred to as a ‘Slab’. Compared with different designs from other counties, the Cornish Range was by far the most efficient and decorative of all Victorian kitchen ranges. The Cornish Range was given its name because of the variety of ways in which it could be put to use. It not only served as an ‘in-house’ heating appliance but was also used as an oven, with the hotplate providing sufficient heat to boil kettles and warm irons. What little research has been done indicates that the general arrangement arrived around the 1830’s in Redruth. They remained in production until just before the Second World War, the last being made by St. Just Foundry in Penwith. During the mid to late Victorian Age, just about every Cornish house would have had a Cornish Range, from the most common 30 inch wide hotplate in the working class cottage to the huge Manor House ranges with slabs up to 6 feet in length. Apart from the big foundries like Harvey's, Copperhouse, Holman's and Piran, most Cornish towns had one or more small foundries, especially if they were situated in one of the mining districts. All of these foundries, apart from selling complete ranges themselves, would also sell castings to the towns and village blacksmiths to complete in their own style and sell under their own name. Using Camborne as an example, there was the huge John Holman foundry and engineering works situated in the north-east of the town; a smaller foundry known as E T Sara at the foot of Trevu Hill and a blacksmith by the name of John Jenkin who ran his business from 118 Trelowarren Street.

The demise of the Cornish Range was brought about by several things, ie. The disappearance of the numerous towns and village foundries which had relied so heavily on the 19th century copper and tin mines, coupled with the arrival of more modern cooking appliances like the Aga and Rayburn etc. One decorative relief common to most ranges is the Royal Coat of Arms - which is normally featured once, if not twice. Whereas the majority of the decorative designs are flowers, fruit and neo-classical scrolls etc. One unusual feature, which occurs quite often but as yet to be explained, is a bird with an eagles beak and a crest on its head. The foundries have certain key designs which are generally incorporated and these can be used to identify the castings, for example, Holman's of Camborne normally have a large rose, thistle and shamrock in a cluster below both lower corners of the oven.

Working Arrangements of the Victorian Cornish Range There were several methods of operation, the most common being the hot smoke passed over the top of the oven, down the far side, then underneath. From there it would travel into a brick flue which was constructed centrally at the back and ran from the foot to the top of the range. Two thirds of the way up this flue there was a damper. This damper was pulled out to increase the draught and it was the main way of controlling the fire, albeit not very efficiently, hence the section of verse in a well-known Cornish folk song ‘you push the damper in and you pull the damper out and the smoke went up the chimney just the same’. If there was insufficient room at the back, the range could be built so that after the smoke passed under the oven it went through a hole below the firebox and then up through a flue on the side. This was known as a side-damper. Some foundries, like Troys of Helston, had yet another arrangement with a damper at the bottom of the range.