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Chimney pot tops and corners. After google-searching I found that chimney toppers are called cowls. You can have a directional wind cowl, an updraft cowl, a capping cowl or a clamping cowl. There are probably even more. I have been observing these cowls in the neighbourhood recently. On our house we have two sorts. One homemade and stationary and the other two are stainless steel and seem to be for anti-downdraft purposes.
We also have these clays heads on the corners of the roof sometimes for decoration also to manage rainwater flow. This one is a leftover, concreted onto our front gate post
Shell decorated terracotta head of a greek woman?
Or could it be Medusa?
Our two fireplace chimneys are topped with metal twirly things, cowls apparently.
This one is atop our old fireplace which we no longer use. The twirly thing goes round and round in the wind and makes annoying whistling noises. Our nephew and friendly run-arounder, cousin George got up on the roof and tied it down with wire. There is no longer an irritating high pitched cacophony to disturb traditional people's rest.
This is the very practicle top over the outside wood-fired oven. Four bricks topped with a large floor tile
Our neighbour Vaso has an elegant bird with a flowing tail atop her chimney and it turns regally in the wind. I cant take a decent photo of it so this is a similar one I found via google. Vaso's has a longer flowing tail of shiny black metal
The stone house is almost finished now. The roof is on and its chimney in place
This is their chimney top. Certainly not a cowl.
I really like this style. Fits in perfectly with the rest of the building
This is the chimney topper I would like, if ever asked. The idea of a wise old owl atop my roof pleases me greatly.
Just one problem. An owl on the roof here is bad luck, a harbinger of death.
How interesting. There are almost no chimneys here and this is a really new topic for me.
ReplyDeleteFar too hot for chimneys in Israel I suppose. In towns and cities most people have central heating and so no fires. In the islands and towns many have wood burning stoves. It's much cheaper to heat with wood than with oil.
DeleteThar topper on the nearly finished house looks like a belfry! We love your owl too, and we have been wondering about those terracotta heads. They are lined up along many old roofs here and seem to have a lot of different faces.
ReplyDeleteAnd no doubt the belfry has bats. I often see them flying at dusk.
DeleteWe have teracotta heads on the corners of our roof. Just decoration.
The best chimneys are in Venice. They are chimneys that are outstanding even without cowls. You really need to see them to appreciate them. Yours are pretty good too though! We have cowls here to keep birds from nesting in the tops. They are mostly stainless steel ones around here. My chimney hasn't got a cowl and the starlings congregate there but don't nest, they do that under the eaves.
ReplyDeleteI googled chimneys in Venice. Fascinating photos. There are around 7,000 chimneys there. Maybe one day I'll revisit and for sure I'll be looking skywards
DeleteThere are quite a lot of chimney toppers in our village in Crete - nearly all of them are birds which are lovely but not quite as elegant as Vaso's. I love the owl one.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had shown some interest when we bought our chimney cowls. I hadn't even thought about the possibilities. Where I sit and drink my morning coffee I watch Vaso's regal bird catching the wind and now I'm hooked on chimney toppers.
DeleteRoof decorations are very cool, house designs here are so boring.
ReplyDeleteYou can be more inventive with tiles I think.
DeleteI don't think we have such interesting chimney topper thingys here. Most people have a heavy gauge wire cage to keep the squirrels out.
ReplyDeleteSquirrels? None of those around here. My daughter used to have bats going down her chimney.
DeleteWe have a big old stone chimney that is topped with old Roman tiles that lean against each other, and are covered by more to form a roof. A lot of folk now have these removed and more ugly modern versions installed. I like to keep things traditional.
ReplyDeleteYours sounds very traditional. I wouldn't change it either
DeleteWe had a cowl on the chimney at a previous house we lived in I think it sent the smoke back down the chimney! 😁 Love the terracotta ones and the owl would be perfect.
ReplyDeleteWe have a bit of a smoke problem now and again. The darn walls need a good wash
DeleteI never knew chimneys could be so interesting! :)
ReplyDeleteDepends where you are. As Rachel pointed out, Venice seems the best place to look upwards but probably all the old villages have their own style
DeleteSomething else to start collecting perhaps?😊
ReplyDeleteI'd like to collect owls.
DeleteI’ve never heard of cowls. I love the owl
ReplyDeleteMight have to check them out on the internet and maybe get me one.
The owl is great. I wonder if they have a terracotta version
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