Did You Know…?

Early types of Treadmills were used in prisons in Britain from 1818; they were like twenty-foot long paddle wheels with twenty-four steps around a six-foot cylinder.

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Several prisoners stood side-by-side on a wheel, and had to work six or more hours a day, effectively climbing 5,000 to 14,000 vertical feet.

While the purpose was mainly as a punishment for criminals, the mill could grind grain, pump water, or ventilate. [1]

 

[1] Source : ” The A-Z of punishment and torture”, Irene Thompson