During the First World War more than 300,000 horses passed through Avonmouth on their way to the Western Front. Shirehampton was the scene of Bristol’s own War Horse drama as over 5000 horses at a time occupied the fields around the village. These animals were cared for by over 1000 soldiers and in 1916 one of these was Charlie Day who wrote letters home describing life at Shirehampton.
‘Single men are the cheapest.’
Together with Charlie’s great nephew and Bristol old Vic, Local Learning worked with Year 6 at Avonmouth Primary School using Charlie’s letters to explore life at Shirehampton in the First World War. Year 6 created a fantastic roaming drama, Their Lives Beneath Our Feet which they performed on the site of the Shirehampton Remount Depot to parents, carers and the wider community.