Donkeys had traditionally been used for carrying heavy loads of coal throughout the UK, and in particular the East Midlands. The image shows Wilson's donkey team outside the Wagon and Coals Inn. His team carried the heavy loads of coal from Mansfield coal wharf to Farnsfield and nearby villages. The coal wharf was the terminus of the Mansfield-Pinxton horse drawn railway, which was opened in 1819 and used horse drawn wagons to haul coal to Mansfield.