Ecclesall Woods is an area of woodland in south-west Sheffield

Sheffield

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

, South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, between Abbeydale Road South and Ecclesall

Ecclesall

Ecclesall Ward—which includes the neighbourhoods of Bents Green, Ecclesall, Greystones, Millhouses, and Ringinglow—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the southwestern part of the city and covers an area of 9.4 km2. The population of...

. It covers approximately 350 acres (1.4 km²) of mature semi-natural deciduous woodland which was previously used for timber and charcoal, and is currently managed by the city council for the benefit of wildlife and visitor access. There are two roads and over 15km of public footpaths running through the woods.

Notable features

There are two mills sited within the woods, and a number of other items of archaeological interest.

Ryecroft Mill

Ryecroft Mill was a water-powered lead smelting mill on the Limb Brook

Limb Brook

The Limb Brook is a stream in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It rises at the village of Ringinglow, flowing east through Whirlow and Ecclesall Woods into Abbeydale in the Beauchief area, where it merges with the River Sheaf...

. The mill dates from at least as far back as the 17th century and was used for lead smelting, and later grinding corn.

Ecclesall Woods Sawmill

There is a modern sawmill within the woods, which was built after extensive storm damage to trees in 1962. It is operated by a private company, but there are plans to use it as both a working sawmill and an information centre.

Q pits

There are a hundred charcoal

Charcoal

Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...

 hearths and two hundred Q pits, believed to have been used for manufacture of white coal

White coal

White coal is a form of fuel produced by drying chopped wood over a fire. It differs from charcoal which is carbonised wood. White coal was used in England to smelt lead ore from the mid-sixteenth to the late seventeenth centuries. It produces more heat than green wood but less than charcoal and...

..

Charcoal burner's grave

There is a grave site, commemorating the death of one George Yardley who was burned to death in his cabin in 1786. The grave is a grade II listed building.

Prehistoric carved stone

A cup and ring-marked stone was discovered in 1981, and has been dated to the late Neolithic or Bronze Age periods. It, and an area around it of 2 m diameter, is a scheduled ancient monument

Scheduled Ancient Monument

In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...

.

External links

• Sheffield city council information page