diff --git a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshInfo/surfaceMeshInfo.C b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshInfo/surfaceMeshInfo.C
index d3b3145c1d..0e08e333fd 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshInfo/surfaceMeshInfo.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/surface/surfaceMeshInfo/surfaceMeshInfo.C
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     forAll(surf, faceI)
     {
-        const scalar fArea(Foam::mag(surf[faceI].area(surf.points())));
+        const scalar fArea(surf[faceI].mag(surf.points()));
         areaTotal += fArea;
 
         if (writeAreas)
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/face/face.C b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/face/face.C
index f0b50dcdda..4060404af7 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/face/face.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/face/face.C
@@ -555,95 +555,6 @@ Foam::point Foam::face::centre(const pointField& points) const
 }
 
 
-Foam::vector Foam::face::area
-(
-    const pointField& points,
-    point& centrePt
-) const
-{
-    const label nPoints = this->size();
-    const labelList& f = *this;
-
-    // If the face is a triangle, do a direct calculation for efficiency
-    // and to avoid round-off error-related problems
-    if (nPoints == 3)
-    {
-        // return centre point information?
-        if (&centrePt)
-        {
-            centrePt =
-            (
-                (1.0/3.0)
-              * (points[f[0]] + points[f[1]] + points[f[2]])
-            );
-        }
-
-        return
-        (
-            0.5
-          *
-            (
-                (points[f[1]] - points[f[0]])
-              ^ (points[f[2]] - points[f[0]])
-            )
-        );
-    }
-
-    point fCentre = points[f[0]];
-    for (label pI = 1; pI < nPoints; ++pI)
-    {
-        fCentre += points[f[pI]];
-    }
-
-    fCentre /= nPoints;
-
-    vector sumN2 = vector::zero;
-    scalar sumA = 0.0;
-    vector sumAc = vector::zero;  // for area-weighted centre
-
-    for (label pI = 0; pI < nPoints; ++pI)
-    {
-        const point& nextPoint = points[f[(pI + 1) % nPoints]];
-
-        // Calculate 3*triangle centre
-        const vector ttc
-        (
-            points[f[pI]]
-          + nextPoint
-          + fCentre
-        );
-
-        // Calculate 2*triangle normal
-        const vector n2
-        (
-            (nextPoint - points[f[pI]]) ^ (fCentre - points[f[pI]])
-        );
-
-        // 2*triangle area
-        const scalar ta(Foam::mag(n2));
-
-        sumN2 += n2;
-        sumA  += ta;
-        sumAc += ta*ttc;
-    }
-
-    // return centre point information?
-    if (&centrePt)
-    {
-        if (sumA > VSMALL)
-        {
-            centrePt = sumAc/(3.0*sumA);
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            centrePt = fCentre;
-        }
-    }
-
-    return 0.5*sumN2;
-}
-
-
 Foam::vector Foam::face::normal(const pointField& p) const
 {
     const label nPoints = size();
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/face/face.H b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/face/face.H
index 9fa82bf5fc..723d9bbfb7 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/face/face.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/face/face.H
@@ -183,18 +183,11 @@ public:
         //- Centre point of face
         point centre(const pointField&) const;
 
-        //- Area of face, optionally return centre point as well
-        vector area
-        (
-            const pointField&,
-            point& centrePt = *reinterpret_cast<point*>(0)
-        ) const;
-
         //- Calculate average value at centroid of face
         template<class Type>
         Type average(const pointField&, const Field<Type>&) const;
 
-        //- Scalar magnitude
+        //- Magnitude of face area
         inline scalar mag(const pointField&) const;
 
         //- Vector normal; magnitude is equal to area of face
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/triFace/triFace.H b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/triFace/triFace.H
index 21ac6065b6..933cb52239 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/triFace/triFace.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/triFace/triFace.H
@@ -114,21 +114,14 @@ public:
         //- Return centre (centroid)
         inline point centre(const pointField&) const;
 
-        //- Area, optionally return centre point as well
-        inline vector area
-        (
-            const pointField&,
-            point& centrePt = *reinterpret_cast<point*>(0)
-        ) const;
-
         //- Calculate average value at centroid of face
         template<class Type>
         Type average(const pointField&, const Field<Type>&) const;
 
-        //- Return scalar magnitude
+        //- Magnitude of face area
         inline scalar mag(const pointField&) const;
 
-        //- Return vector normal
+        //- Vector normal; magnitude is equal to area of face
         inline vector normal(const pointField&) const;
 
         //- Number of triangles after splitting
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/triFace/triFaceI.H b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/triFace/triFaceI.H
index 501a6fe1cd..af62aa1aa3 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/triFace/triFaceI.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/meshes/meshShapes/triFace/triFaceI.H
@@ -171,27 +171,12 @@ inline Foam::point Foam::triFace::centre(const pointField& points) const
 }
 
 
-inline Foam::vector Foam::triFace::area
-(
-    const pointField& points,
-    point& centrePt
-) const
-{
-    // return centre point information?
-    if (&centrePt)
-    {
-        centrePt = this->centre(points);
-    }
-
-    return this->normal(points);
-}
-
-
 inline Foam::scalar Foam::triFace::mag(const pointField& points) const
 {
     return ::Foam::mag(normal(points));
 }
 
+
 // could also delegate to triPointRef(...).normal()
 inline Foam::vector Foam::triFace::normal(const pointField& points) const
 {