65
CHARCOAL BURNERS IN EPPING FOREST;
THEIR PRIMITIVE HUT AND THE
FORMATION OF HUT-CIRCLES.
By S. HAZZLEDINE WARREN, F.G.S.
[Read 6th March 1909.]
THE industry of charcoal-burning, which was once of con-
siderable importance in the county of Essex, has recently
been revived in Epping Forest. The spot selected for the work
was the place marked on the maps as "Cuckoo Pits," near
Chingford.
I did not see the work when it was first begun, but under-
stood that it was commenced in the early part of September
1908, by two Loughton men, Mr. J. Cook and Mr. G. Bowtle.
The work was continued by these men until about the end
of October, when it was abandoned for a time. It was again
taken up, but for a short time only, by two other men from
Collier's Row, near Romford, during February 1909; and,
finally, by Mr. J. Cook and his co-worker for a few weeks during
the following July. Unfortunately Mr. Cook does not seem
disposed to continue the work any further, as he is not satisfied
with the financial result of his labours. While one can,
of course, in no way blame him for this, as he has his living
to make by his work, it is yet none the less regrettable; for
I believe that he is absolutely the last of the old school of
charcoal-burners of the Epping Forest area, where the industry
was once extensive and flourishing. The recent revival of
charcoal-burning certainly furnished, for so long as it lasted, an
additional interest in the Forest. I have spent many delightful
hours in the company of Mr. Cook, watching the various
processes of his craft, learning the interesting terminology
that is used, and obtaining photographs of the different stages of
the work. I endeavoured to obtain all the information that
I could upon this subject, as it is probably doomed to be utterly
forgotten within a very short space of time. This is the case
not only with the processes of the industry itself, but also with
the traditional methods of building the hut-shelter. This hut-
shelter is the central point of interest to anthropologists, as there
can be little doubt that it is a direct survival from prehistoric
times.