Why we make Charcoal. The simple answer is that no other combustible substance generates the heat necessary for the forging of metals. The basic action consists of burning (or literally charring) wood at a very slow, controlled rate so that the combustion is never allowed to finish and so turn the raw materials to ash. This is achieved by controlling the amount of air involved in the reaction - basically, covering the fire in earth or a metal container.

When we made charcoal we used a metal container with air holes at the bottom. We put in newspaper and kindling to get the fire going with dry wood and covered it up and let it burn overnight. We cooked our sausages with the charcoal Pericles had made.

A lot of charcoal burning was done on Ashdown Forest as it was used to smelt iron. They used to build piles of broken branches and twigs and cover it in turf, which burned slowly. The charcoal burner lived on site to make sure the pile didn't go down.