This was our first real emergency. We could have lost the entire chimney stack. Although the solution is not pretty, with a column of ugly breize blocks, it was out of necessity.

The root-cause was damp, due to the poor drainage and a broken drainpipe resulting in rain water coming off the main roof and running down the wall and into the foundations. Over many years this caused the wood to rot that supported the fireplace. We have also replaced some of the floor boards in that corner.

Once the roof, gutters and drains were fixed (in the following year), the cellar slowly dried out. Three years later it is dry in that corner.