Greyfield Woods

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Greyfield Wood was mined for coal around 1610 and again from 1833 -1911. Walking through the woods it is possible to see the remains of 'bell pits', a very early form of mining. The woods are now managed by The Woodland Trust. Within the wood, you can observe stones carved like headstones in various places. There are two theories as to their origin. One is that surveyors of the coalmines carried out an underground survey, and then would repeat the exercise on the surface, marking strategic points below with a stone above. The other is that the stones mark the graves of the Earl of Warwick's hunting dogs. The Earl of Warwick used to own much of the land and coalmines.
Continue straight on to a gate and car parking area.