When turkeys were walked to London for Christmas
Summary
Before modern refrigeration and railways, turkeys were walked long distances from Norfolk and Suffolk to London for Christmas. This practice, known as turkey droving, involved moving large flocks of turkeys with the help of drovers. The tradition began to decline with technological advancements that made transportation and refrigeration easier.Key Facts
- Turkeys first arrived in England in the 1500s and became popular for Christmas dinners.
- Before modern transport, turkeys walked to London, a journey that took about three months.
- Drovers led the flocks, and turkeys would walk about three miles each day.
- To protect their feet, turkeys often wore leather boots or had their feet coated in hot tar and sand.
- The introduction of steam engines and trains eventually ended the long turkey drives.
- By the mid-1930s, refrigeration allowed more turkeys to be transported slaughtered, rather than alive.
- The Norfolk Black turkey breed almost disappeared but was saved by a farming family in Norfolk.
- Turkeys were first brought to the UK by explorers in the early 1500s from the Americas.
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