Hello to any experienced woodstove chimney people....
We have got ourselves into a very difficult position by having taken
bad advice and done all the wrong things with a woodstove. Any
opinions & ideas much appreciated - we are very despondent at the
moment. (We also have very little spare money!! I'm retired)

Last autumn we installed a largish box woodstove (Jotul 602N) in a
masonry chimney (brick built in about 1935) having been told it was in
good nick and we could put the stove straight into it through a baffle
plate. We did. Because we needed constant background heat we burned
the stove near tight shut all winter - the worst way, now we know, for
creosote/tar build up. Made worse by a cold loft space the chimney went
up thro.

Result, tar seeping out of the chimney pointing. We got new advice and
were told we had no option but to brick the chimney up, never use it
again, and install a separate insulated flue.
Do we have any other safe options which will let use re-use our
chimney? Any way of cleaning up effectively? Lining with insulated
flexible liner - would that be safe in the circs?

Help please.....