FUELING THE CITY - PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FIREWOOD AND FUEL IN LONDON REGION, 1290-1400

Access to adequate supplies of fuel was a crucial constraint upon the growth of pre-industrial cities. This article puts forward estimates o f London's demand for fuel, principally firewood, in the fourteenth ce ntury and considers the ability of its hinterland to meet it. The docu mented activities of the city's woodmongers conform closely to a theor etical supply zone as defined by transport costs. London obtained its firewood supplies from a relatively restricted area, within which it s timulated specialized commercial production. The use of coal as a fuel in London suggests that the limits of the wood-fuel system were being approached by c. 1300.