Revolutionary Players
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Charcoal Burning in the Wyre Forest
Text: Malcolm Dick
Image: Charcoal burning in the Wyre Forest. A burner is standing outside his hut in the Wyre Forest. Outside are
the various tools of his trade, including a shovel or “ship”, sacks for carrying charcoal and a windbreak.
[Image from: Bewdley Museum from an image in the Stone Collection, Birmingham Central Library, late 19th
century.]
Summary: Charcoal burning was a traditional craft, but vital to substantial parts of the Midlands’ economy.
Between 1700 and 1900, the Wyre Forest on the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire, was a major centre of
production. Charcoal was used as a fuel in several regional industries. Using photographs taken in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries, the text explores the history of the industry and identifies a number of the techniques of
charcoal burning which had not changed for centuries. The industry experienced the introduction of new
technology, but competition from other sources of fuel meant that the market for charcoal declined. During World
War II charcoal burning for commercial purposes disappeared from the Wyre Forest.
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