05

08/06
17:22

Fire Hazard

The Donkey Wheel @ Carisbrooke CastleThis weekend Sarah (my wife) and I are celebrating our 2nd anniversay by going to the Isle of Wight for a long weekend. The first place we went today was Carisbrooke castle, where you can have a look at the ruins and learn about medievil life.

The main attraction is a big wooden wheel which is turned hamster-fashion by a donkey, on the day we visited ‘Jack’ was the donkey in question. The purpose of this huge device was to raise and lower a bucket into a well. It would take the donkey 37 revoloutions of the wheel to get the bucket all the way down, and then up the well to retrieve one bucket of water. Presumably this was just enough for the donkey to drink having exerted every ounce of energy in his body to get the damn thing! All hell must’ve broken loose when there was a fire…

  • Lou

    Happy Anniversary!

    I’m worried about this donkey… does he get holidays and time off? Is he really in the wheel hampster fashion? How’d they fit a whole donkey into such a small wheel? Do the RSPCA know about this?!

  • Lou

    Happy Anniversary!

    I’m worried about this donkey… does he get holidays and time off? Is he really in the wheel hampster fashion? How’d they fit a whole donkey into such a small wheel? Do the RSPCA know about this?!

  • http://www.robpannell.com/ Rob

    Apparently the donkey works no more than 10 minutes a day, and there is a team of 5 donkeys. In medieval times they would have done about 5 hrs a day.

    When I said the donkey powered the wheel hamster fashion, I didn’t realise I was insinuating that the wheel itself was hamster-sized. I apologise for this misleading statement which I clearly hadn’t thought through, and would draw your attention to the picture in the blog entry showing the donkey stood in the wheel. It is of appropriate proportion to the donkey.

    As for the RSPCA, I’m unaware if they have been notified, so feel free to give them a call.
    :)

  • http://www.robpannell.com Rob

    Apparently the donkey works no more than 10 minutes a day, and there is a team of 5 donkeys. In medieval times they would have done about 5 hrs a day.

    When I said the donkey powered the wheel hamster fashion, I didn’t realise I was insinuating that the wheel itself was hamster-sized. I apologise for this misleading statement which I clearly hadn’t thought through, and would draw your attention to the picture in the blog entry showing the donkey stood in the wheel. It is of appropriate proportion to the donkey.

    As for the RSPCA, I’m unaware if they have been notified, so feel free to give them a call.
    :)

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