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This donkey wheel was built into the main structure of a barn in South Fawley, Berkshire. It was used for pumping and lifting water from a well. It would have been turned by a donkey walking on the inside of the wheel. Donkey wheels were common in the 15th century and are known to have been used as early as the 13th century.

donkey wheel: wood (oak)

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Museum of English Rural Life) - Description: Photographs of the donkey wheel before it was dismantled are to be found in a photographic envelope under Motive Power. See enquiry form., MERL miscellaneous note – 'Details of Construction. Diameter of wheel, 14 ft. 7 ½ in. // The 'tread' planks are of oak, 45 ½ in. long by 1 ½ - 1 ⅜ in. thick. They vary in width between 5 in. and 9 in. and their ends projected only ¼ in. over the main circular frames to which they were nailed. // The circular outer frame of each face was made from eight curved oak segments cut to the same pattern, 4 x 4 in. cross section. The extremities of each were ‘half lap’ jointed to their neighbours but the joints were cut with sloping faces and seats for their tongues. Each joint was pinned with two ⅝ in. bolts. // The four radial supports on each face were originally made from two lengths of oak fitted together (where they were eventually to pass through the axle) with a ‘half-lap’ joint. One of these long oak struts had been driven through a mortise, cut diametrically through the axle. The other strut was then cut in half (across its ‘half-lap’ joint) and the two halves separately inserted into their appropriate axle mortises (cut at right angles to the other) and tightly secured by wooden wedges. The root of each main strut was given further support by ‘L’ shaped angle irons nailed into position. // The main struts have an average thickness of 3 ¾ in. but taper on their other faces from the widths at their roots of 4 ¾ in. to 3 ¾ in. at their extremities. Their end tenons were pinned to the circular frames by the staggers pair of ½ inch trenails. The basic cross frames had been placed a theoretical 450 apart, but were in fact several degrees out of the true angle. // The subsidiary oak bracings between the ‘felloes’ and ‘spokes’ were made of oak and measured 3 x 2 ½ in. across. They were tenoned and trenailed at their outer ends and nailed through the bevels cut at their other ends. // The axle was 13 ft. Long and made from oak. It was finished to an octagonal cross section (1ft. 1 ¼ in. between flats), one changing to a nearly circular section near each end, both of which had been reinforced with a shrunken iron collar. The end bearings consisted of inch diameter iron rods spiked into axle, working in turn within semi-circular brass bushes housed within the frame of the building. One end of the axle had two circumferential rows of projecting wooden pegs. These and an iron staple were obviously connected with the management and fixing of the haulage rope. // The building which housed the wheel appears to date to the early 19th century. It has shiplap board on a studwork construction resting in turn on a few courses of brickwork. The wheel appears to be of the same date., Letter, R.G. Dawson to MERL, 13 November 1956 - 'I have a donkey wheel used years ago for pumping and lifting water from one of our old wells. It is housed in a barn which we propose to use for other purposes... It's a sound old thing and used to work well not many years ago. I should add that it is strictly speaking the property of my landlord [their title is unreadable] M. L Wroughton: [surname is difficult to read and may not be correct] he is however agreeable to my approaching you on this matter.', MERL Enquiry form, completed by R.G. Dawson, January 1957 - 'Age:- 150 Years? Perhaps More '.

Sixpenny Handley