Information on the saw pits located in Carbrooke, Norfolk, a small agricultural village, with a surprising & fascinating history. It has with influences through the centuries from around the world.
The aim of this website is to bring together information about the area and its heritage. If you have any comments, information, anecdotes or photographs to share, please contact us.
Working with wood, must be just about one of the oldest human occupations, but before wood can be used, it needs to be prepared, and the village saw pit is where this would have been carried out. In its earliest days, there was a large wood in Carbrooke, later known as St Johns Wood, and remnants (left) of it can still be found in the north of the village around the Fen, over the years the wood has been cut, to create larger and larger fields for agriculture, or for materials to build local houses, furniture or for fuel.
In an age before mechanisation, muscle power was the only option, and the conversion of trees into useful timber, was achieved by either axe, adze or saw. Trees from the forests or estates of landowners were too heavy to transport any distance, so Saw Pits were set up close to the source.
There are indications of three such pits in Carbrooke. One almost opposite the church, one on Drury Lane and a third at Carbrooke Hall.
A pit was dug, and the tree/large piece of timber laid over it, one person would climb into the pit to operate the saw, whilst the other would stand up top. As with many agricultural jobs, a labourious, monotonous and dangerous task.gg
In 1871 there were 2 households supported by a sawyer.
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | (DREWRY) DRURY LANE | EDWARD | BURNETT | 25 | M | HEAD-MARRIED | SAWYER | ATTLEBOROUGH NFK |
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | (DREWRY) DRURY LANE | ANN | BURNETT | 26 | F | WIFE-MARRIED | SAHAM NFK | |
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | (DREWRY) DRURY LANE | LOUISA | BURNETT | 6 | F | DAU | SCHOLAR | SAHAM NFK |
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | (DREWRY) DRURY LANE | WILLIAM | BURNETT | 2 | M | SON | OVINGTON NFK | |
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | (DREWRY) DRURY LANE | SOPHIA | HOLIDAY | 24 | F | VISITOR-WIDOW | DRESSMAKER | SAHAM NFK |
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | (DREWRY) DRURY LANE | EMMA | HOLIDAY | 3 | F | VISITOR | SHIPDHAM NFK | |
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | (DREWRY) DRURY LANE | JAMES | NICHOLS | 29 | M | LODGER-UNM | CARPENTER | SHIPDHAM NFK |
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | SPRING (CAUDLE SPRINGS | JOSEPH | BUTTON | 47 | M | HEAD-MARRIED | SAWYER | TETTAGE NFK |
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | SPRING (CAUDLE SPRINGS | ELIZABETH | BUTTON | 48 | F | WIFE-MARRIED | TOTTINGTON NFK | |
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | SPRING (CAUDLE SPRINGS | HARRIET | BUTTON | 29 | F | DAU-UNM | DRESSMAKER | WATTON NFK |
| 1871 | RG10 1842 P34 West | SPRING (CAUDLE SPRINGS | FREDERICK | BUTTON | 25 | M | SON-UNM | PORTER | WATTON NFK |
and in 1891 just one, although it may be that the saw pit owners classed themselves as ‘Farmers’ or ‘Smiths’ and the workers as ‘labourers’.
| 1891 | RG12 1550 P.72-81 | BROADMOOR ROAD 9 | 62 | BENJAMIN | BRETT | 64 | M | M | HEAD | SAWYERS LABOURER | CARBROOKE NORFOLK |
| 1891 | RG12 1550 P.72-81 | BROADMOOR ROAD 9 | 62 | HARRIET | BRETT | 66 | F | M | WIFE | CARBROOKE NORFOLK |