ABSTRACT
The perception of post-medieval English woodlands as a dwindling resource, felled to fuel industries whose consumption of charcoal and wood was unsustainable, was widely held in the middle of the 20th century. The inter-relationship between woodland management and the growth of industry, particularly in rural districts, is key to understanding of the archaeology of woodlands. Over the post-medieval centuries there has been a reduction in the use of woodlands for coppice-products for industry. This was partly a consequence of the changing fuel-requirements of industry discussed above, but also a measure of the need for constructional timber during the period of the Industrial Revolution, which, despite the growth of softwood imports, had its effect on estate management of woodlands. Hence management of woods, and the industrial markets for their products, were essential for the wellbeing of numerous families, remote in many parts of the country from the activities fuelled by the products of their work.
