Myers Wood is a wooded area in the village of

Kirkburton Kirkburton is a village, civil parishes in England, civil parish and ward in Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is south-east of Huddersfield. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the township ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

, England. It forms part of a heavily forested area to the west of the village, occupying the rise in the valley leading up to

Storthes Hall Storthes Hall is a part of the township of Kirkburton, West Yorkshire, England. A heavily wooded area, it comprises a single road, Storthes Hall Lane, which links Kirkburton with the nearby villages of Farnley Tyas and Thurstonland. The most si ...

and beyond. It is directly west of the main Penistone Road, opposite Riley. Saville Wood is directly south, close to

Thunder Bridge Thunder Bridge or Thunderbridge is a hamlet and bridge in the civil parish of Kirkburton, in the Kirklees district, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is near the A629 road and Stocksmoor railway station. Its post town is Huddersfield. ...

. Local residents consider the wood to be of poor quality due to the absence of woodland management. The wood is significant for the discovery of an iron-working site dating from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. Archaeological excavations by a team from the

University of Bradford The University of Bradford is a Public university, public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be creat ...

uncovered the most complete site in the north of England. The

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...

iron-working site was in operation from the 12th century to the 14th century, using advanced techniques and water power for smelting and smithing iron. The site is not a tourist feature, there being no formal administration or oversight by a heritage body; however, it is possible to access the site via the footpath that runs through Saville Wood.

References

External links

Myers Wood Iron Workings
Forests and woodlands of West Yorkshire Kirkburton {{UK-archaeology-stub