To add to the rich tapestry of this discussion: In the Monmouthshire area of South Wales, "Trelech Treacle" is well known - BUT it is the rich slag from the mediaeval smelters, not the original ore.
Yours Steve Gray
mining-history automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
There are 6 messages totalling 302 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Cumbria visit
2. Treacle Mines (4)
3. Visit to Co of Cumbria
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 08:22:49 -0400
From: Cacky Walker
Subject: Re: Cumbria visit
Thanks so much for your replies. I will get back a little later with =
more specific questions, if that's okay.=20
Catherine and Joe
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 13:28:38 +0000
From: Tony Oldham
Subject: Treacle Mines
Treacle Mines
It was a pleasant surprise to find in the current edition of The Field an=
=20
article on Treacle Mines. Suspecting a hoax, I read on and was amazed to=
=20
find that treacle mines exist in 12 counties across England: Cumbria, Dev=
on,=20
Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester, Norfolk,=20
Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire and that there are no fewer than 19 treacle=20
mines in Oxfordshire alone.
The author goes onto describe the geological origin of the naturally=20
occurring treacle, which is similar to that of coal, beds rich in the fos=
sil=20
remains of sugar cane trapped deep underground in rock formations of the=20
Jurassic period.
The article describes a treacle well at Burton Bradstock in Dorset and a=20
visit to Dunchideock=92s treacle mine, near Exeter. The latter is illust=
rated=20
with 3 photos.
Ref:
Edelsten, David 2006 Digging deep for Treacle. The Field, April pp 67-70.
Cheers - Tony Oldham
Duncavin
1 Riverside Mews
CARDIGAN
SA43 1DH
United Kingdom
http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/~arb/speleo/guides.html
http://www.showcaves.com
http://www.mike.munro.cwc.net/mining/tony_o/tonyo_hp.htm
http://www.showcaves.com/foreign/Big/F003-003.jpg
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 14:49:36 +0100
From: Peter Northover
Subject: Re: Treacle Mines
I too have had my doubts about the veracity of some reports of treacle
mines and wells and attributed the one in Burton Bradstock to our
rector's sense of humour.(I worship in the next parish for which the
rector is also responsible).
From the Bride Valley News for August 2005 I have extracted the follwoing:
Treacle mine.
All is set. We have permission, thanks to an Elizabethan charter
discovered for us by John Packenham-Walsh. We have the mine glistening
with a crude syrupy substance, and we have begun to assemble the bits of
kit we need to process the material. In the interests of keeping our
neighbours sweet (and if they will ever forgive this terrible pun) I am
at pains to point out that the amount of equipment involved is very
small. Apparently miniaturization has come to the treacle industry as it
has to every other sphere of life, and what once would have squeezed
into a large building can now be housed in a small room of the kind that
we have set into the tunnel itself. One of these rooms will house the
small amount of equipment, and the other is the site of the treacle
intrusion itself.
The Burton Bradstock fete is on Thursday the 4th August, when parts of
the treacle mine will be open for viewing. I have to say parts, because
part of the roof of the tunnel is now held up with props, in part
necessary because of the geological pressure of the treacle. Anyway,
parts will be on view, and there will be a range of treacle based
products on sale. Be there, be sticky.
Bob Thorn
On the other hand, we are on the Jurassic Coast.
Yours,
Peter
--
Dr Peter Northover,
Materials Science-Based Archaeology Group,
Department of Materials, University of Oxford
Tel +44 (0)1865 283721; Fax +44 (0)1865 841943 Mobile +44 (0)7785 501745
e-mail [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 14:59:16 +0100
From: Peter Mason
Subject: Re: Treacle Mines
Did the miners come to a sticky end? The Tovil treacle mines near
Maidstone were a Victorian creation and even had mythical postcards
produced. Pete
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Northover"
To: "Pete Mason"
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 2:49 PM
Subject: Re: Treacle Mines
>I too have had my doubts about the veracity of some reports of treacle
>mines and wells and attributed the one in Burton Bradstock to our rector's
>sense of humour.(I worship in the next parish for which the rector is also
>responsible).
>
> From the Bride Valley News for August 2005 I have extracted the follwoing:
>
> Treacle mine.
>
> All is set. We have permission, thanks to an Elizabethan charter
> discovered for us by John Packenham-Walsh. We have the mine glistening
> with a crude syrupy substance, and we have begun to assemble the bits of
> kit we need to process the material. In the interests of keeping our
> neighbours sweet (and if they will ever forgive this terrible pun) I am at
> pains to point out that the amount of equipment involved is very small.
> Apparently miniaturization has come to the treacle industry as it has to
> every other sphere of life, and what once would have squeezed into a large
> building can now be housed in a small room of the kind that we have set
> into the tunnel itself. One of these rooms will house the small amount of
> equipment, and the other is the site of the treacle intrusion itself.
>
> The Burton Bradstock fete is on Thursday the 4th August, when parts of
> the treacle mine will be open for viewing. I have to say parts, because
> part of the roof of the tunnel is now held up with props, in part
> necessary because of the geological pressure of the treacle. Anyway, parts
> will be on view, and there will be a range of treacle based products on
> sale. Be there, be sticky. Bob Thorn
>
> On the other hand, we are on the Jurassic Coast.
>
> Yours,
> Peter
>
> --
> Dr Peter Northover,
> Materials Science-Based Archaeology Group,
> Department of Materials, University of Oxford
> Tel +44 (0)1865 283721; Fax +44 (0)1865 841943 Mobile +44 (0)7785 501745
> e-mail [log in to unmask]
>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 15:05:54 +0100
From: H E Fleming
Subject: Re: Treacle Mines
See http://www.treacleminer.com/
Hazel Fleming
Newcastle.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On=20
>Behalf Of Peter Mason
>Sent: 05 June 2006 14:59
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Treacle Mines
>
>Did the miners come to a sticky end? The Tovil treacle mines=20
>near Maidstone were a Victorian creation and even had mythical=20
>postcards produced. Pete
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Peter Northover"
>To: "Pete Mason"
>Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 2:49 PM
>Subject: Re: Treacle Mines
>
>
>>I too have had my doubts about the veracity of some reports=20
>of treacle=20
>>mines and wells and attributed the one in Burton Bradstock to our=20
>>rector's sense of humour.(I worship in the next parish for which the=20
>>rector is also responsible).
>>
>> From the Bride Valley News for August 2005 I have extracted=20
>the follwoing:
>>
>> Treacle mine.
>>
>> All is set. We have permission, thanks to an Elizabethan charter=20
>> discovered for us by John Packenham-Walsh. We have the mine=20
>glistening=20
>> with a crude syrupy substance, and we have begun to assemble=20
>the bits=20
>> of kit we need to process the material. In the interests of keeping=20
>> our neighbours sweet (and if they will ever forgive this=20
>terrible pun)=20
>> I am at pains to point out that the amount of equipment=20
>involved is very small.
>> Apparently miniaturization has come to the treacle industry=20
>as it has=20
>> to every other sphere of life, and what once would have=20
>squeezed into=20
>> a large building can now be housed in a small room of the=20
>kind that we=20
>> have set into the tunnel itself. One of these rooms will house the=20
>> small amount of equipment, and the other is the site of the=20
>treacle intrusion itself.
>>
>> The Burton Bradstock fete is on Thursday the 4th August, when parts=20
>> of the treacle mine will be open for viewing. I have to say parts,=20
>> because part of the roof of the tunnel is now held up with props, in=20
>> part necessary because of the geological pressure of the treacle.=20
>> Anyway, parts will be on view, and there will be a range of treacle=20
>> based products on sale. Be there, be sticky. Bob Thorn
>>
>> On the other hand, we are on the Jurassic Coast.
>>
>> Yours,
>> Peter
>>
>> --
>> Dr Peter Northover,
>> Materials Science-Based Archaeology Group, Department of Materials,=20
>> University of Oxford Tel +44 (0)1865 283721; Fax +44 (0)1865 841943=20
>> Mobile +44 (0)7785 501745 e-mail [log in to unmask]
>>=20
>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 23:49:27 +0100
From: Sallie Bassham
Subject: Re: Visit to Co of Cumbria
Jean is too modest to say that she and Ian have written wonderful and
informative books on the Lake District mining. They sell these at the
museum and also have an excellent collection of second hand books.
Enjoy your trip!
Sallie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jean Tyler"
To:
Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 7:13 AM
Subject: Re: Visit to Co of Cumbria
> Dear Chris - I f you can get over to Keswick in the Lake District
while you
> are here, come to Keswick Mining Museum. We have info. on all the
mines in
> Cumbria and my husband Ian is probably the most knowledgeable mines
historian in
> the county. Oddly enough, he is leading a mines heritage walk up
the Dufton
> Valley today.
>
> Look forward to seeing you. Email back if you want to and have a
look at our
> website: _www.keswickminingmuseum.co.uk_
> (http://www.keswickminingmuseum.co.uk)
>
> Cheers - Jean Tyler
> Keswick Mining Museum
> Otley House
> Otley Rd
> Keswick CA12 5LE
>
------------------------------
End of mining-history Digest - 4 Jun 2006 to 5 Jun 2006 (#2006-119)
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