Welcome to H Firkins & Sons,
The London chimney sweeps since 1860

The Story of H Firkins & Sons – The London Chimney Sweep

020 8886 9420

Once upon a time….

1860 (to be precise)

There once lived young boy called Harry. Harry lived with his family in a little hamlet called Crouch End, London.
Harry’s family were very poor and after a particularly hard winter, were quite desperate.
Fortunately for them there were no laws that governed the use of small children working.

The Firkins family sent young Harry out into the cold so he could secure himself a nice little earner.
Whilst his father spent the the last of his pennies on ale at the Firkin pub on the corner, Harry set off.
He walked all through the night. The cobbles sparkled with frost under his feet, the gas lights
spluttered and hissed. The sound of London by night echoed through near empty streets.

Get the picture? Good. To read on about the inception of the London Chimney Sweep, click here

The London Chimney Sweep – Traditional values, modern methods. .

London Chimney sweep on bike

H Firkins & Sons – the only London chimney sweep reducing congestion on London roads with the introduction of an EAV Cargo Bike .

In the Summer of 2022, Josh Firkins decided Firkins Chimney Sweeps needed a more efficient and environmentally friendly method of transport. Josh commented ‘With the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods slowing traffic down, and how clean London air was when the cars were off the road during the covid lockdown fresh in the memory, I decided it was about time to do something to make a difference. The bike produces zero emissions, can use bike lanes and pass through LTN’s. It has been a revolution. Plus customers love it’.

While the cargo bike is a very modern method of transport, it also takes H Firkins & Sons back to their roots. Because of this, the rear of the bike is proudly adorned with a photo of Harold and Samuel Firkins outside the Chimney Sweep HQ in Crouch End, London. The photo is over 100 years old. The reason for the inclusion of the image is twofold. Firstly, it is simply the pride the family have in the history of sweeping chimneys in London. Also, it is because Harold and Sam, like Josh, got around with their brushes and rods on a trade bike – though a very different type of trade bike!

Like always, the Firkins family are doing their best to remain a traditional family business. They are just sure to bring those traditions firmly into the 21st century.

For Chimney Sweeping services in South London, West London, Buckinghamshire and Surrey, we can recommend Home Sweep Home Chimney Sweeps.

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