West Wight People and Place: Charcoal Maker Graham Hardy
What gives an area its sense of place? The answer to this question might lie in the landscape or in the distinctive buildings of the place. Community interaction may also be important, as well as a sense of wellbeing and culture or the knowledge that people may hold for their immediate surroundings.
The strength and diversity of the local economy may also feature as well as any attachment that people hold for the area, be they visitors, recent newcomers or born and bred residents who can trace their family ties back generations.
In an attempt to answer this question, Pete Johnstone set himself a challenge and that was to find the sense of place of West Wight through photographing people living and working in the area and asking them about their connection to this largely rural area. This is Pete’s second West Wight People and Place challenge with this time having an emphasis on the Island’s Biosphere Reserve status acquired in 2019.
West Wight charcoal maker Graham Hardy starts another batch of charcoal, this time hazel and plum.
Graham's work is part of an ancient woodland restoration initiative to improve the biodiversity of the woodland at the privately owned Great Park Farm near Shalfleet. As a local wood worker Graham is keen to encourage the traditional management of woods in the area.
Graham at breakfast time
I met up with Graham early one winter morning in the woodland clearing. Over a cup of tea, he explained that his charcoal is made from locally coppiced woodlands in and around West Wight. He then talked me through the process of how to make charcoal from beginning to end.
Coppicing is an ancient way of managing woodlands, Graham tells me. It allows for the regeneration of shrubs, such as hazel. By regularly cutting the hazel at its base during winter months, the plant will send up new shoots in the spring.
The coppice rotation can be on a cycle of between 7 and 21 years depending on the plant species and the management requirements of the wood.
With the sunlight coming through onto the woodland floor, coppicing also enhances the fauna and flora by opening up new open areas for wildflowers and insects such as butterflies to flourish.
Coppicing is a form of woodland management that can traced back hundreds of years and was traditionally used as a way of producing household and agricultural products as well as firewood and of course charcoal.
The smaller kiln stacked with hazel, ready for lighting. Charcoal is placed in the centre of the kiln ready for lighting wood is then laid out in a cartwheel formation around the charcoal to allow airflow underneath the kiln to allow the fire to establish itself.
Small kiln alight. Logs are carefully laid on top of the cartwheel ensuring not to block any airflow channels.
Using the breakfast fire to light the kiln.
Inspecting one of the larger kilns.
The production of coppice products, such as charcoal, can also provide employment in traditional rural crafts.
Adding embers to the kilns.
The kiln is loaded to the top leaving a central chimney which allows the embers to be poured down the centre to the old charcoal to light the fire. Once the fire is alight it is left to burn, this is called the freeburn, which lasts approximately one to two hours.
First the lid is lowered onto the top of the kiln. Then the chimneys are placed on top of the lid to warm, this helps the draw of the smoke once they are in place. The base of the kiln is then sealed leaving the ports open to allow airflow to continue.
Dampening down the burn. The base of the kiln is then sealed leaving the ports open to allow airflow to continue. The kiln lid is sealed with sand and the two chimneys are placed at the opposite ends leaving the two ports open to allow airflow. The burn is monitored by time, volume and the colour of the smoke. The process can take up to 18 hours but can vary as each burn is very different.
Over time the smoke will change colour from white to a dirty white and the smoke volume will decrease. It is important to monitor this stage closely because if the smoke reduces and turns blue then the charcoal is being burnt and only ash will result. The next stage is to close the airflow and to seal the two chimney ports. Timing is critical here and is done just prior to the smoke turning blue. Once the kiln is closed it will continue to burn for at least another two hours until all the air is burnt off and the fire is extinguished.
Graham is keen to encourage the use of locally produced charcoal on the Isle of Wight rather than it being shipped in from abroad from unknown sources, where the sustainability value can be pretty low or even non-existent. At least with Island produced charcoal, Graham explains, you can be pretty sure that the charcoal is of high quality, the product miles are low and you get excellent results when cooking.
Over the morning Graham’s work was to get a batch of charcoal underway in two of his smaller kilns for the Island restaurant trade who have been quick to pick up on the quality of his charcoal. In this batch Graham is producing single species charcoal of hazel and plum.
Bagged up charcoal ready for sale.
Finally, the two kilns are then left for three days to cool. After cooling the kiln is opened and charcoal is sorted and packed ready for the market.
For further information on Graham’s charcoal:
Portrait of Graham Hardy.
