Musty smell in bedroom

[woodyray]

Hi,
I would appreciate some advice please.

We live in a 1926 built house.
Upstairs bedroom has an external wall, with a chimney breast, with an air vent into the room.
External chimney is approx. 2m high, with a cowel on top to stop rain going down the inside.

For a few months we have noticed a "musty" smell in that room.
Lifting some pictures on the chimney breast, and having a good close sniff, there is a slight sooty smell (at least to my nose!).
There are no signs of damp on the chimney breast.

I can't find any other sources for the smell in the room so think it must be from the chimney breast.

Any thoughts as to what is happening to cause the smell?
Thanks in advance, Ray.

 

[^woody^]

This airbrick, is that venting the flue or is it in the external wall?

Musty smells are typically mould spores

Smells of soot implies a gap of some sort into the flue. Possible in the floor or roof void if not visible in the room, or if the airbrick is in the flue, then there is a downdraft and the flue may be blocked.

 

[woodyray]

HI, Thank you for you reply. The airbrick is in the chimney breast in the room.