Q-Pit in Ecclesall Woods

This picture shows the remains of a Q-pit, (shaped like a 'Q' in plan view). There are lots of these in Ecclesall Woods in Sheffield and are the remains of hearths used for producing 'white coal' - timber cut from coppiced trees which was heated to remove moisture. The white coal was then used for smelting lead ore from the Peak District. The Q-pits probably date from late-16th to mid-18th century.