Ivelet Wood

Description

Ivelet Wood chop kiln MYD36604 (c) Robert White, 2004

This area of woodland on the steep valley side above the River Swale was once common land and managed as wood pasture. Local people known as commoners had the right to graze animals within the wood, collect fallen wood and possibly even cut wood in the form of pollards. In the 18th and 19th century wood was cut here was dried or burned to produce charcoal for use in the smelt mills of the nearby lead industry. The chop kilns or elling hearths where the wood was dried remain as bowl shaped depressions within the wood. Six of these kiln sites have been identified so far. Charcoal burning platforms are more numerous, nearly 40 have been recognized. The use of this relatively remote area for grazing has gradually declined over the last 100 years and the woodland has regenerated accordingly.

Source:

Gledhill, T (2004) ‘Woodland, Industry and Landscape: A history of woodland in Swaledale’ in White, R F & Wilson, P R (eds) (2004) Archaeology and Historic Landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales. Yorkshire Archaeological Society Occasional Paper No 2 pp61-67