RESEARCH is to be carried out into the industrial heritage of wooded areas of the South Pennines.

Pennine Prospects is leading the Heritage Lottery-funded three-year project to explore the vital role played by ancient woodland in the Industrial Revolution.

The South Pennines includes the Brontë moors and Rombalds Moor between Riddlesden, Silsden and Ilkley.

Nowadays trees cover only four per cent of the South Pennines, but in the 19th century they formed part of the industrial landscape. Ruined mills can be found in several areas including above East Morton.

The Celebrating Our Woodland Heritage Project will aim to promote the valuable historical resource to help protect it for future generations.

Potential volunteers recently attended a day school in Hebden Bridge, and next year volunteers can get involved in a number of ways, including archaeological surveys.

Woodland Heritage officer Chris Atkinson said: “There’ll be on the job training looking at past woodland use and any evidence of pre-woodland use, such as quarries, settlements and field boundaries.

“Even in the smaller woodlands, which predominate in this area, there’s still evidence to be found.

“We’re hoping that by surveying the woodlands people will gain a greater understanding of their importance.”

Pennine Prospects, a rural regeneration company, won £400,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the project, along with contributions from the Newground Together Trust, Green Bank Trust and Yorkshire Water.

Professor Ian Rotherham, from Sheffield Hallam University, said that evidence of charcoal production can be found in the Domesday Book and has been instrumental in the early industrial development.

In the South Pennines’ woodlands there is evidence of coppicing and charcoal production.

Anyone wishing to get involved should visit celebrate-our-woodland.co.uk or contact Chris on 07582 101691 or by emailing chris.atkinson@pennineprospects.co.uk.