Do I need a lintel?

[BarneySmithy]

Hello,

I oftern use this forum and find it very useful so thanks for all your past help, but here is my first post!

I have a victorian house (1902) and a previous owner has bricked in a fire place, today I was hoping to open it up again to put a fire back in, just for decorative purposes rather than actually use it. I have knocked of the plaster to reveal the old hole, which is bricked in, but I can not see a lintel. There is a row of soldier bricks above the new brickwork but it doesn't feel that these would offer satisfactory support, I have channeled upwards and can not find any evidence of a lintel higher up. So do I need a new lintle or am I missing something?

Any help would be appreciated
Cheers
Barney

 

[Geps]

Is there an arch in the brick work?

If not, yes you'll need a lintel.

 

[BarneySmithy]

This is what I was fearing! There is no arch!

 

[BarneySmithy]

Oh, I forgot, thanks for your help!

 

[^woody^]

The brickwork will support itself above a typical fire opening