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Charnwood Country 4 stove

Overall Rating:

4.5 flames

based on 52 reviews    (View rating breakdown)
Charnwood Country 4 stove

The Charnwood Country 4 stove is available as a wood or multi fuel stove.

You can get an optional small back boiler - big enough to heat domestic hot water and max 1-2 radiators.

You can get the Charnwood Country range in coloured finishes

&

This model has 1 door with plain glass in it.

Technical Data
  • Height: 545mm
  • Width: 416mm
  • Depth: 242mm
  • Flue Diameter: 125mm
  • Fuel: Multifuel
  • Nominal Heat Output: 4.8kW
  • Efficiency: 76.8%

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Review Ratings Breakdown

Build Quality 4.5 flames
Quality of finish 4.5 flames
Value for money 4.5 flames
Ease of use 4.5 flames
Ease of lighting 4.5 flames
Firebox size 4 flames
How well does the airwash work 4 flames
Controllability 4.5 flames
Handle operation 4.5 flames
How likely are you to buy it again? 4.5 flames
What is your overall satisfaction? 4.5 flames

Most Recent Review

  • charwood country 4 stove

    Glenn Keen 3 years ago

    we have had a charwood country 4 stove for twenty years now and its great we look after it and apart from new rope and a new metal in the back of the fire box and a repaint in vht paint we love
    it, it's the main heating we have in our house and nothing to go wrong - recommend this great little stove

    Stove expert replied: Sounds like you're getting the most from your stove! Brilliant. One of the things I like about stoves is they are repairable and most parts are also easily recycled - although it sounds like that's not going to happen to yours soon! : )

    Overall rating:

    5 flames

Most Popular Review

  • Great little stove, simple, well built & glows bea

    Mr. Yeates 14 years ago

    I've being using my Charnwood Country 4 (made in England on the Isle of Wight) for a couple of months now, almost daily; often twice daily. It's very simple to use, easy to light and more controllable
    than I expected - perfect for our small living room -- and I sometimes turn it up & leave the living room door open to help warm the dining room and/or upstairs; it's not overpowering though. One key feature is the 1/4" thick throat plate which can be easily be removed without tools (although one is provided) for cleaning the chimney & throat plate -- no need for a door in the flue). I have the woodburning-only version, which gives me more space for logs & ash than would the more expensive & more complicated multi-fuel option (which basically just adds a rather fancy riddling grate for burning coal). Even the wood-only version is not cheap but the design & build quality it very good, with thick, strong sheet steel used throughout with a nice even finish (the most expensive part, the chassis warranted for 10 years I believe - although Dorset-made Aarrow Acorns are warranted even longer, for life I believe). The Country 4 is wider than most 4kW stoves (the only wider one I found was the Bohemia 40 which is significantly wider although very thin) & its use of ceramic liners rather than fire bricks also provides more room (as does my lack of multifuel option), in practice it takes all but the biggest bulkiest logs. You can even burn logs with the door open, if you have odd shaped logs for example, as I sometimes do.I found that after daily use for about a week, the ash builds up (you barely notice this) and need to remove some to keep the fire lighting easily (so it doesn't block the rectangular slot at the front, which sits behind the lower rotarty control. Often I run the stove will all controls full on. It produces a lovely, bright yellow flame light as the wood gas burns, thanks to the clean burn warmed air inlets that come from low down behind the stove & up behind the throat plate, and are controlled by the top pull-out brass level (I think). It the flames get too high, I just throttle back the top control, otherwise I use the lower control to manage the burn rate. Neither control is particularly smooth & both can be hot but I figure that is normal. The front handle is, surprisingly wooden, and so can be opened without additional protection (good). All parts can be ordered on-line, so I hope to be using this for many years to come.Physical size was not an issue for us, we have a huge inglenook fireplace and were more worried that this compact little stove might look too small. We need not have worried, it looks great, especially when lit. I light it most nights & some mornings, as it is very quick and easy to get glowing. I tend not to stack it up for overnight burning, not wanting to creosote/tar up the chimney on my thatched cottage, unless it is particularly cold out (we have oil-fired central heating but it goes off during the night). It tends to burn out overnight, although I have on occasion found glowing coals in the morning. I'd probably need more practice to get that right - probably stack up chunky logs & turn the controls down (they recommend that you don't close the top control completely to avoid creating tar).Re. clear burn & airwash, both work well but if you slip a newer log or wet log in, the glass will quickly blacken. Sometimes you can just burn it off by opening up the top clean burn control but occasionally you'll need to clean the glass (when cool), they recommend using a non-abrasive glass cleaner. The stuff I used gets the most but by no means all off (seems to be vinegar based - I suspect an ammonia based cleaner would work better). Well seasoned, dry wood is no problem though - super clean burning. The throat plate, clean burn & airwash features make this very energy efficient, with wood gas usually being burnt above the main fire with a very attractive light show (better than most TV!).Could it be improved? Yes of course but I'm perfectly happy with it as is. If pushed, I would say make it a tad wider (fireplace space is not an issue for me -- it might be for others though), make the controls a bit smoother & cooler to the touch. Reduce the price (but not at the expense of quality) -- it was twice the price of my initial budget and some competitors but in the end I am glad I purchased this model. The design (both technical and aesthetic) and quality give me confidence in the purchase.The previous owner of my cottage had a larger but far less expensive woodburner and told me that it was too hot to stay in the living room when it was on. That's rarely the case with this stove as one can easily control it.It arrived well packed, securely screwed to a mini-pallet, on top of a slightly larger mini-pallet. Initial impressions are that it is even smaller and heavier than expected. The delivery man was impressively able to bring it right into the living room on his mini fork-lift trolley, through the french window. Otherwise, I would strongly recommend 2 people carry this, although once unpacked & emptied I could lift it and shuffle it myself (I'm quite big & strong), it is safer and better not to. The generous lip around the top & the rail around the bottom make it easily to hold.You can run the flue out of the back (default) or out of the top. We could have used either. As I had not purchased the option Charnwood back flue angle, we opted to use the top, which should also simplify cleaning. You just unscrew the blocking plate from the top & move it to the back hole. However, we decided to move the fire away from the back wall to allow more heat circulation by tilting the 120cm long flue pipe a little, it works fine but perhaps better to purchase the optional rear outlet (using the optional Charnwood-designed rear-adapter allows the flue cleaning through the stove, a normal flue bend/angle-piece would not).The stove comes with a small bag of fire putty, more than enough to seal the flue pipe into the stove (& seal the blocking plate against the stove, if you feel it necessary, as recommended). Use a damp sponge or finger to get a smooth professional finish to the putty. Top-Tip: Wipe the stove with damp newpaper to remove any chalky or soapy white residue, this works unbelievably well.I highly recommend this simple, attractive and easy to use, well designed, well built and easy to maintain little English-made stove.
    Overall rating:

    4 flames

More reviews for Charnwood Country 4 stove (page 1 of 6)

  • Plastic smell

    Tom Evans 5 years ago

    Hi Stove Expert. Thanks for your help with the last issue/ question I had. It''s a new stove Charnwood country 4 and when I crank the heat up the house completely smells of plastic. Is this
    normal and does it go away over time. Also have a little baby so not putting the stove on at the moment due to the smell etc. Is there something I can do so I can have stove on hot and not smellHave to keep the heat to about 100c so it does not smell. Thanks for your helpTom

    Stove expert replied: If the stove / flue smells of plastic when hot there may be something that is closer to the heat source than it should be as there should not be a noticeable smell from a working stove. I would suggest getting your installer back to check the installation as this is not normal. The stove is basically a steel box with refractory liners inside so there is nothing to cause a smell once the paint has cured.

    Overall rating:

    4 flames

  • Charnwood country 4 door handle stuck

    Tom Evans 5 years ago

    Hi all. Just brought a charnwood country 4 log burner. Heats up really well and very quickly but once it gets to about 450c the door does not open. Don't know if I'm being stupid and it doesn
    't open for safety reasons but seems to me the door has got too hot and the metal expands. Anyone else had any issues like this. Thanks for your help

    Stove expert replied: I would suggest that perhaps a flue thermostat should be purchased so that you can check the operating temperature of the stove, 450 degrees C is on the top limit of operating recommendations so it may be better to not work the stove quite so hard. It would appear that this temperature has meant that the metal has expanded thus preventing the handle mechanism from operating. You should take this up with the installer and supplier, firstly to check that the flue draw is not excessive (do you have full control of the rate of burn?) and should a warranty claim need to be initiated then your supplier can follow this up for you.

    Overall rating:

    4 flames

  • Charnwood Country 4

    Frank McLoughlin 6 years ago

    I have had this stove for 4 yrs now. It takes a long time to reach optimum temperature and the glass always blacks up. I''ve had the chimney swept and installer confirms I''m using it correctly
    . Having used a friends clearview stove, I would probably opt for this in the future.

    Stove expert replied: Keep the airwash open and used dry fuel to help keep the glass clear.

    Overall rating:

    2.5 flames

  • Great Little Stove - Dreadful Manual

    Peter Finlay 6 years ago

    Looks lovely. Great heat and control of heat level. There is one horrible problem - THE THROAT PLATE. The What? The heavy metal plate that forms the roof of the stove. The instruction manual
    says it should be removed at least once a month to clean it of soot. Unfortunately this is a very difficult operation. You would think very clear instructions would be given. What is given is a sort of very small diagram on page 6 with a side on view with a steeply sloping plate (un-named) apparently a fixed part of the stove, and attached below it a much smaller plate (labelled Throat Plate) which seems to be only two thirds of the length of the plate above it. The one on our stove seems to be almost full length. The rear of both plates is shown as coming right down almost as low as something that looks like the bed of the stove! Ours doesn''t - it''s much higher. Almost nothing in the diagram corresponds to the actual stove. A tool is shown attaching to the Throat Plate. This tool was not provided so you have to move this dirty plate with your hands! The diagram seems to indicate that the top of the plate is much lower than it actually is in our stove. It then shows the plate being removed by pulling it up to the top and then ''swinging it down'' using the un-provided tool. It is not made clear if the Throat Plate is to be completely removed. If it is it is a VERY awkward thing to get back even into the stove - let alone to fix it correctly in position once it is back in the stove. The manual tells you how in two meagre lines: ''raise the front of the plate, push it back and then lower it onto the retaining lugs.'' What are the ''retaining lugs''? They will be labled on the diagram of course. No they are not. Nor are they given in the list of all the parts on page 14. All the diagrams given are pathetically small as well as being incomplete. Instead of decent diagrams vast space is given for nothing (Three blank pages for ''notes'' and another full page for a picture of your cosy stove). I would give 4 or 5 stars for the stove itself and minus several stars to the Throat Plate and the dreadful manual. It is nonsense to give the ratings according to the categories given below. I am forced to give a very low overall satisfaction simply to draw attention to the issues I have described.

    Stove expert replied: If you did not get the tool that is talked about in the manual do go back to the supplier to request one. The throat plate seems to come down to sit above the back liner and there should be some retaining lugs on the side of the stove for it to locate onto and be held in its working place, when dropped down the debris should be able to be removed without taking it out of the firebox. If you need to remove totally then remove other internal parts that may restrict the opening ( fuel retainer etc) and bring the throat plate through in a diagonal position.

    Overall rating:

    3.5 flames

  • Charnwood Country 4 Multi fuel

    7 years ago

    I went for a charnwood due to brand and coming from IOW to support IOW business.Had it installed last year and looks lovely.Very quick and easy to light and burns well but my only issue is keeping
    it burning.We have an inset fire which once it gets going burns for hours with little attention required but I find this stove much harder to keep it burning and it easily goes out if unattended. Its quite frustrating and to be honest disappointing. I'm now considering burning coal instead of wood to see if this may help to keep it burning for longer periods.

    Stove expert replied: Smokeless fuel will provide a good core of heat that last much longer than wood and as this is a small stove you may not be able to put enough wood in to last the time that you are expecting it to. Worth trying the different fuel.

    Overall rating:

    3 flames

  • Charnwood Country 4 MKII Multi-Fuel Review (Nov. 2015)

    Keith Butler 8 years ago

    Charnwood Country 4 MKII Multi-Fuel Review (Nov. 2015) Our Charnwood Country 4 MKII was installed in early December 2013 so we have now had 2 years of ownership. Let us say first off –
    we are very happy with our purchase and only wish we had made the decision to purchase a multi-fuel Stove earlier. We’re still amazed at the control that you can achieve, the warmth generated and the look and feel of a real fire in your own home. (we did have an open fireplace where we lived previously). Somewhat bemused by the number of Stove manufacturers, prices, and range on offer we eventually chose this on the advice of a friend who had purchased the same model. We have tried most of the fuels available: Wood, Coal, Smokeless and combinations of all three – our favourite is Wood as we find it cleaner and more convenient to use, handle & purchase. Provided you have both kindling and firelighters available we found the Stove extremely easy to start. After the first winter season we found that we can now start it with almost anything really - if wood is used as the main fuel. We never buy kindling (too expensive generally) and rarely buy firelighters. Cardboard, and notwithstanding the current issues with some forests of removing stuff, well dried Cones are absolutely fantastic natural firelighters. We also often collect a few bits of old tree branches whilst walking the dog. As a test, within the first few months of ownership we managed to keep the fire going overnight. We did find that to be bit of an art initially, with Wood and Coal mixed being the easiest option. Shortly afterwards, we kept it going for 7 days non-stop. On this model we have found that the low settings required to keep the fire going overnight do mean that the glass becomes discoloured – but it soon burns off when you get the fire going again! Initially, we used Jif and similar products to clean the glass almost every day, we still do but far less regularly probably every 10 days, if that, or so nowadays. We live, just the two of us nowadays, in a 1960’s 4 bed semi which has been extended and is pretty much open plan downstairs. Being approx. 500M from the South East coast we do live in a generally warmer part of the UK. Though of course it can get windy here and, during 2014 we recorded a minimum temperature of -9C. For us, the decision to have the Stove was mainly financial. Though we have both cavity wall and loft insulation in place, our CH combi gas boiler is under 10 years old, and most of our lighting has been updated to LED, our projected combined energy bill for 2014 was just shy of £2000. Our aim was, in the main, to rely on the Stove for our evening heating (we do occasionally switch on the CH for the first hour or so) whilst still relying on the gas boiler CH to heat the radiators for a couple of hours each morning. Our conservative estimate is that we save between £300 - £400 p.a. since having the Stove installed which should mean that the Stove will have paid for itself in around 5 – 6 years. In addition we now enjoy the glorious feeling of real natural warmth whilst sitting in the lounge. The Stove is fitted in the lounge, there is a door leading to the rest of the house and an open-plan staircase leading to the upper floors. As the main bedroom is directly above the lounge it does mean that the Stove meets our needs very well as it warms both the lounge, the main bedroom and adds to the warmth in the bathroom, and generally, on the first floor. We do tend to run the Stove at a very high heat most of the time to achieve this. An additional (delightful) advantage of the Stove is that the residual warmth can still be felt in these main areas at 06:45 the following morning. It does mean that we have to forego some warmth in the dining room which is the closest room adjacent to the lounge – the purchase of (large) Pasta dishes mean we tend to eat more often in the Lounge than we used to, in the Winter months! We were fortunate in that our Hetas engineer was known to us and we were given a very good installation price. We ourselves purchased the Stove, fittings and liner and also completed the Stove surround and fireplace work. We paid a local builder to have the fireplace width extended as many different sources had mentioned that it was important to get plenty of air space around the Stove as this would assist in circulating heat in the room. We are indebted for the instructions and advice we found at this link which we followed pretty closely: http://www.stovefittersmanual.co.uk/articles/lining-a-fireplace/ I will say we could find no real advice from the Internet as to what paint to use on the surround – there does appear to be some reluctance to specify anything in particular apart from the heat resistant types in limited colours. We have used water based emulsion on the Hardibacker board installation suggested at the above link to no ill effect, and at times believe me, the Stove is HOT! – though, of course, you do this yourself at your own risk. Rope replacement we have found to be very easy – but do remove the door first as per the instructional video at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYLS9AEcajQ We buy “generic” Stove rope of the required size rather than the manufacturers own and we find that you do need to replace this every year to retain the Stove heating control to its full capacity. Though we often read that the Stove should be swept every 6 months we get ours done yearly, in Autumn, which seems adequate for our usage. We have recently been experimenting with Stove Baked Potato – delicious! Like most things in life there are allowances and considerations to be made which will effect a decision. The Stove ashes do need to be emptied and the area swept; it takes time to get the Stove going and it’s certainly not as easy as turning up the CH thermostat. Are we glad we purchased our Stove? – damn right we are! Our Project Stove – before and after: www.keithb.org/stove.pdf

    Stove expert replied: Generic rope may not be the correct diam. and density as manufacturers do not give this information out so do be careful if you do not purchase a genuine spare part. Otherwise a great review of living with a stove.

    Overall rating:

    4.5 flames

  • Infinitely controllable and very responsive

    Heather Lee 8 years ago

    We bought this little stove for our study along with a Jotul F100 for the sitting room Inglenook. It's been interesting to compare them. What we love about this wee beauty is that it lights
    very easily, it quickly gets up to a good temperature; the primary and secondary air controls are astonishingly responsive in controlling the burn. It fills the room with warmth that lingers long after the fire has died down but that could be because we have a stone walled cottage. We were relieved that the warping problem with the backplate had been resolved before we purchased this stove. Putting a kink in the steel sheet seems to have stopped it from bending. No issues at all with that. Initially we found it difficult to fully close the door and assumed it was because of metal expansion. This caused too rapid a burn but since loosening the catch for the handle on the main body it has closed brilliantly every time not matter how hot it gets. The glass stays very clean so the air wash is working well and thus far very little ash is produced indicating an efficient burn. The firebox is large and will take chunky logs. Overall we prefer this stove to our Jotul cast-iron stove for getting a fire going quickly and for controllability but then the Jotul was selected for long-haul burning and for that it is superlative.
    Overall rating:

    5 flames

  • Lovely heat output

    Moira Wilcockson 8 years ago

    Had the Charnwood Island 2 installed in March 2015. Gives out excellent heat but I hope the fishy / new paint burning smell goes soon ..... Have used the fire about 20 times and thought it would
    have gone by now ......
    Overall rating:

    4.5 flames

  • Fantastic Stove, excellent customer service!!

    David Ross 8 years ago

    We purchased our Charnwood Country 4 Multifuel Stove a year ago. It ran through the first winter and all of our downstairs central heating radiators had to be turned off, because of the heat
    that it can generate. It is so easy to light, the glass self-cleans and it makes a great feature to come home to on a cold winters evening. We had to contact Charnwood recently regarding a technical issue and they could not have been more helpful, talk to these guys, they are the most customer-focussed company I have ever encountered.
    Overall rating:

    5 flames

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