**Origins and Cultural References of Treacle Mining:**
– Originated from British Army soldiers camping on Chobham Common in 1853
– Soldiers buried barrels containing treacle to avoid removal
– Chobham villagers called treacle miners as a joke
– Local folklore extended treacle mining history back to Roman Britain
– Sabden in Lancashire cultivated folklore about treacle mining in the 1930s
– Maidstone paper mills known as Tovil Treacle Mines
– ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ features a story about a treacle well
– ‘Uncle and the Treacle Trouble’ is a children’s book involving treacle mining
– Terry Pratchett’s novels on Discworld include treacle mining references
– ‘The Treacle People’ was a children’s TV show based on treacle mines in Lancashire
**Treacle Mining Locations:**
– Devon, England
– Somerset, England
– Yorkshire, England
– Scotland
– Wales
– Treacle Mine public house in Thurrock, Essex
– Treacle Mine restaurant/pub in Polegate, East Sussex
– Broomsquire Hotel in Tadley, Hampshire was previously Treacle Mine Hotel
– Treacle Mine pub in Hereford
– Wincanton in Somerset has a Treacle Mine Road since April 2009
**Treacle Mining Methods and Equipment:**
– Drilling into treacle seams
– Extracting treacle using pumps
– Refining treacle through filtration
– Purifying treacle with heat
– Packaging treacle for distribution
– Treacle drills
– Treacle pumps
– Filtration systems
– Heating apparatus
– Packaging machinery
**Treacle Mining History and Economic Impact:**
– Believed to date back to Roman times
– Flourished during the Industrial Revolution
– Decline in the 20th century
– Revival in modern times for tourism
– Treacle-related folklore and traditions
– Tourism revenue
– Job creation in local communities
– Sales of treacle products
– Cultural significance
– Contribution to regional identity
**Related Folklore and Concepts:**
– Various other locations across the UK claimed to have treacle mines
– Micaceous hematite mines in Devon referred to as treacle mines
– Tudeley and Frittenden in Kent associated with treacle mines
– Buxted and Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire linked to treacle mines
– Cow tipping
– Drop bear
– Jackalope
– Snipe hunt
– Spaghetti tree
Treacle mining is a joke about mining black treacle (also known as molasses) in a raw form similar to coal. The subject purports to be serious but is an attempt to test credulity. Thick black treacle makes the deception plausible. The topic has been a joke in British humour since the mid-19th century.
