The fuel for heating a home in the 16th and 17th centuries depended on where you lived. In the upper dales there was plenty of peat and coal some wood and ling (heather). The lower dales were at a disadvantage being distant from the local collieries and perhaps more dependant on wood and turf which could be peat or literally turf, sods of grass from moors such as Nomans Moor between Thornton Steward, Fingall and Newton le Willows. Lingy Moor between Moulton and North Cowton is a reminder in name that more of the lowland moors may also have been heather covered. In the upper dales, early surveys describe a treeless land of wild moor and pastures “measureless to man”. It is evident that prior to the great Enclosure Awards of the 18th and 19th centuries that heather would have covered a much greater area than today and then between that and the ancient open village fields there would be wooded scrub pasture. The Forest of Wensleydale was hunting ground not a jungle of trees and the Bainbridge Horn Blower sounded the curfew when all law-abiding folk should be at home and not hunting the Kings deer.
Wills and inventories give a great deal of information but because they tended to be made by the wealthier people, they give a somewhat skewed picture. The more affluent and more densely populated Richmond had a greater number of people with coals and turfs in their inventories than other places. Down dale Richard Nelson of Askew had 10 quarters of coal worth 13s 4d in 1558[i] and Cicely Peacock of Bedale had another 10 quarters in 1575[ii].
The main collieries in the dales at the time were Preston Moor and Cotterdale in Wensleydale, Tan Hill at the top of Arkengarthdale and Coltersdale in East Witton parish to the west of Masham. The volume of traffic particularly from Preston Colliery towards Bedale must have been considerable because in 1610 the inhabitants Spennithorne, Thornton Steward, Thirn, Thornton Watlass, Well, Kirklington and Wath were instructed to repair the highways across Thirn Moor and Cansick Loning. The highways in Spennithorne and Constable Burton leading to the “cole pitts” were in disrepair in 1611 when Bedale and Burniston were instructed contribute.[iii] Much of this trade would have been for malting barley, George Jackson had coal at his malt kiln in Great Crakehall in 1623.[iv]
For Swaledale and Arkengarthdale the “Old Coal Road” leading from Tan Hill Colliery was always a difficult rout. For most of its life the coal trade from Tan Hill Colliery was mainly directed towards Westmorland, even following the completion of the Arkengarthdale Turnpike in 1770. Preston Moor Colliery and Cotterdale Colliery fulfilling much of the demand for homes and the lead mines alike. As Preston Moor Colliery declined after 1663, so Cotterdale Colliery (West Pits) became the dominant supplier, Anne Carter of Tunstall in 1664 had 6 bushels of “West Pitts coals” worth 2s.[v] Mary Turner of Worton Hall, (a substantial three storied manor house at the time) had half a chaldron of coles in her cellar when she died in 1666.[vi]
Some inventories mention “elding,” fuel for the fire, the earliest being Ralph Ward’s of Richmond in 1563 and the last, George Dent’s of Low Blean near Semer Water in 1747.[vii] Ralph Scotson’s inventory of Grinton in 1590 refers to “flaughtes and petes”, Ciciley Thompson’s inventory of Hudswell in 1593 says “ellding turffe wood & cole.”[viii] Margaret Wright of East Hauxwell in 1614 had “coles, flaghtes and ling.”[ix] Flaughtes are also recorded in the names Flout Moor and Floutgate in Bishopdale. Just to list some other entries, Christopher Morgan of Richmond in 1615 had 30 bushels of coal worth 12s 6d.[x] James Rayne had coals and turf worth £3, Robert Dodsworth had turfs, coals and wood worth 20s both of Richmond in 1634.[xi]
In terms of transport, there are few references in wills but Henry Durham of Studdah in Fingall parish was leading lead in 1573, in later centuries farmers from Marske in Swaledale were particularly involved with that trade. There are few references to the transport of coal and peat in wills, Christopher Coulton’s will of 1691 in Gayle is the earliest, he gave his son John Jackson all his horses provided he supplied his wife Jane Coulton with coal and turbary.[xii] Francis Winn of Thornton Steward in 1727 had coal Galloways.[xiii]
[i] 65/23 Richard Nelson Askew 1558. Coals 10 quarters 13s 4d.
[ii] 68/109 Cicely Peacock Bedale 1575 10 Quarters of coal
[iii] NRRS. Vol 1. Ed Rev J.C. Atkinson 1884. P.197. Quarter Sessions Records. Northallerton July 12 1610.
The inhabs of Spennythorne, Thornton Steward, Thirne, Thornton Watlass, Well, Kirklington and Wath shall before the 24th June instant mend all their severall highways, being in great decaie, viz Thirne moor and Cansick loninge, according to their proportion, and all other highe waies leading to the coale pitts and elsewhere.
Vol 1. P.215 Thirsk Apr 3,4,5 1611.
The highe street leading through the lordship of Constable Burton to the coalepitts, as in great ruyne &c, and ought &c by Fingall.
The highe street leading through the lordship of Spenythorne towards the colepitts, and all the north partes that way, a in great &\c and ought &c by Beedall and Burnieston
[iv] 50/145 George Jackson Great Crakehall 1623.
[v] 25/26 Anne Carter Tunstall 1664 6 bushels 2s from West Pitts. Mines and Miners of Wensleydale. Spensley, I.M.
[vi] 94/46 Mary Tourner of Worton Hall in 1666
[vii] 97 95 Jeffery Ward Richmond 1563. 132 93 George Dent Low Blean 1747
[viii] Swaledale Wills and Inventories. Berry, Elizabeth. p.9.
[ix] 99/147 Margaret Wright East Hauxwell 1614 Item in hempe, salte, coles, flaghtes and ling xjs
[x] 60/151 Christopher Morgan Richmond 1615 30 bushels of coals 12s 6d
[xi] 30/111 Robert Dodsworth Richmond 1633 & 76/14 James Rayne Richmond 1634.
[xii] 28/6 Christopher Coulton of Gayle 1691
[xiii] 125/83 Francis Winn Thornton Steward 1727
Yorkshire Dales History 
Fascinating, thank you
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Another very interesting article, Ian. X🌸
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