Q-pit facts for kids
Q-pits are special pits dug long ago to make a type of fuel called white coal. People used these pits before the Industrial Revolution, which was a time when many new machines and factories were invented. After that, white coal was mostly replaced by another fuel called coke.
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What Were Q-Pits Used For?
The white coal made in Q-pits was mainly used to melt lead from rocks. This process is called smelting. People used Q-pits for lead smelting from about the year 1550 to 1750. After 1750, new ways of smelting lead were found that used regular coal.
White coal was important because it helped control the heat. It was mixed with charcoal to get the perfect temperature. If only charcoal was used, it would be too hot. This would make the lead turn into a gas and disappear. Some Q-pits might also have been used to turn coal into coke.
Where Can You Find Q-Pits?
Many Q-pits were built in areas with deciduous woodlands. These are forests where trees lose their leaves in autumn. Finding Q-pits today can tell us two things. First, they show that people used to do industrial work in that area. Second, they show that a forest was there, or very close by, a long time ago. You can often find Q-pits near other old industrial sites, like saw pits.
How Were Q-Pits Built?
Workers made Q-pits by digging a round hole in the ground. This hole was about 12 to 13 feet (4 meters) wide. They also dug a small channel or "spout" leading out from the pit. This made the pit look like the letter "Q" from above.
People started digging these pits in the late Middle Ages. They continued to use them until around 1760. This was just before the start of the Industrial Revolution. There were also similar pits called Potash pits. These pits were used to make potash, which helped clean wool. Potash pits were common in areas where sheep were raised.
Where Are Q-Pits Located?
Q-pits are a common sight in places where lead was mined. You can find many of them in areas like the Leadhills in Scotland. They are also found in East Derbyshire, England.
Because Q-pits are small, it's usually easy to tell them apart from large quarries. However, sometimes old bomb craters from World War II can look a bit similar. In 2007, one Q-pit was found and dug up in Westbury-sub-Mendip. This area is near the lead smelting sites on the Mendip Hills in Somerset. More than 200 Q-pits have been studied in Ecclesall Woods in Sheffield.
