1930s fireplace

[Jjdurk]

I'm looking for some advice on opening up this fireplace, at some point in the past it seems to have been bricked up but having not done this before I'm not really sure what is going on, there are several different Chambers so to speak, with some ironwork and an old back boiler pipe.
Was the original fireplace the much larger outline under the brick are or do you think it has always been bricked in. I'm hoping to open it all out up to the arch and the full width.

 

[pilsbury]

That looks perfectly doable. As you said, all that brick infill can go up to the arch. You may well find a curved steel support under the arch. Leave that in place. You’ll have a nice opening then. What you thinking? Log burner?

Just make sure what that pipe is. Gas?

Prepare for a mess. A load of soot, dust and crap will get everywhere.