Snowy Q-pit

One of the many Q-pits in Ecclesall Woods, Sheffield. The patchy snow seems to bring out the features.

There are lots of Q-pits in Ecclesall Woods. The name derives from their shape in plan view. They 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.