Is there a magical Lintel there

If there was a lintel, you would see it on the underside of the brick on edge, (soldiers are upright)

 

..and looking at the state of the bricks, I would definitely be putting one in!

Mr. HandyAndy - Really

 

Phil, would you see the flat flange of the lintel (if it exists...) under the soldiers? Or, what the 'ell keeps the soldiers up?

 

That can't be staying up by it'self, there must be something in there. Although it looks straight, is there a curve in it at all. (soldiers are upright)

B J

 

Good old fashioned use the window frame to hold up the house. Not uncommon.

 

Bloody hell didn't read that bit! if there was a window in the hole, then as Metro said, 'must take in what I read'

 

Could be a bar through holes in the bricks but not likely.
Need a 10 foot sledge hammer to be on the safe side!

 

That's a similar setup to our last home, the soldier course just rested on the metal window frame. Were they metal windows installed?

 

Also looks like there is almost no cavity either!

Mr. HandyAndy - Really

 

It's a BRICK ON EDGE, Soldiers standup, unless there French, then, well.

 

Or Italian, then they just lie down on their backs , waving a flag consisting of a white cross on a white background.

 

old houses never used a lintol, they layed onto window frame, sometimes and timber lintel on the inside of a 9 inch wall and the outer brick work on the frame , thats why you see a lot of cracked brickwork on top of replaced windows, id put in something to support it even an rsj . save problems later