John Evelyn, writing in 1662 about charcoal burning in Surrey, refers to the
Hearth and the Pit (not specifically Colliers Pit).
Charcoal burners in England were often referred to as Woodcolliers.
A good book on the subject is "Woodcolliers and Charcoal Burning" by Lyn
Armstrong, published jointly by Coach Publishing House Ltd. and The Weald and
Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton in Sussex. The book is dated 1978. (The
Weald and Downland Museum may well still have copies
(http://www.wealddown.co.uk/). They actively burn charcoal by the old methods
and using the newer metal kettles and are a good source of information on the
subject.
Much charcoal production in Surrey was for the Wealden iron industry, the
centre of production before Abraham Darby's developments led to a move north to
the coal fields.
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