I lived near Oxford for a year
And once bicycled the nearby
countryside with a neighbor.
We cycled past a country church
yard and Maggie said, “The Treacle
Well is in there” so we parked
our bikes and went through the
lychgate to find it. The well
was unobtrusive. Maggie stood
by the rim and I took
her picture. You can’t very well
photograph a well. So, when the
door mouse tells a story that three
little girls lived in a Treacle Well,
Alice says there is no such well.
But finally admits “Well there
might be just one.” That is the one
that I took a picture of. I don’t think
the three little girls are living in it now.
2026 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in April 16-22, 2026.
