27/10/2026
A charcoal kiln in a Dorset woodland may look like a piece of the past - but British charcoal making is still a living craft.
A recent Financial Times feature on the “modern-day Woodlanders” of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex celebrates the people keeping traditional rural skills alive today, including Dorset Charcoal Company’s Jim Bettle.
But these skills only survive if there is a market for what they produce.
With most charcoal used in Britain now imported, the Back British Charcoal campaign is asking consumers to think about where the charcoal beneath their food actually comes from.
So read the story. Admire the tradition. Then, next time you buy charcoal, look at the bag.
If you want British charcoal making to survive, buy British charcoal.
https://www.dorsetcharcoal.co.uk/post/a-tradition-worth-buying-into
ThomasHardy TheWoodlanders BritishWoodlands
