Charcoal burners in the Lake District, north west

Charcoal burners in the Lake District, north west England, known locally as colliers. Man stacking sticks of wood and building a pile or clamp which would be covered with turf and slowly burned to produce charcoal. From November to April the men cut and hauled wood. In April and May they peeled bark off the oak wood they had cut and this would be used for tanning leather. In summer they made charcoal, living in or near the woods in teams of about 12 so that there would be someone to tend burning clamps at all times. Engraving from The English Illustrated Magazine (London, 1884)

Bark Burned Burners Charcoal Clamp Clamps Colliers Hauled Locally Peeled Pile Produce Slowly Someone Stacking Sticks Tanning Teams Tend Turf

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