Charcoal Camp - Things to make 2012 # 1

There are a few 'bits' I would like to add to the charcoal camp to make it look and work better: to start with I would like to make a few windbreaks to shield the birning heaps from the breeze which helps the heap burn more evenly.

I don't have any C16th illustrations of these but below is a illustration, from 1879 showing Charcoal makers in Epping Forest, on the right hand side of the picture you can see some rudimentary windbreaks made of poles interwoven and filled with branches. These seem to held by poles bracing them against the wind.



So we need to retrieve a number of hazel lengths this winter to make into the frames and then in the summer we can use bracken to fill the gaps.

As it is a slow day at work today I have even made a little model, from coffee stirrers, of what the finished article might look like:

I know I really should get out more!