Avonmouth and Shirehampton - All Our Stories

During the First World War more than 300,000 horses passed through Avonmouth on their way to the fighting on the Western Front. Shirehampton became the scene of Bristol's war horses as over 5000 horses at any one time occupied the fields around the village. These animals were cared for by over one thousand soldiers, and in 1916, one of these was Charlie Day, who wrote letters home describing life at Shirehampton. With funding from the Heritage Lottery and Heritage Schools, 'Local Learning' worked with Charlie’s great nephew, Bristol Old Vic and pupils from Year Six at Avonmouth Primary School. Using Charlie’s letters that explored life at Shirehampton during the time of the conflict, we created a roaming drama titled 'Their Lives Beneath Our Feet'. This was performed on the site of the Shirehampton Remount Depot to parents, carers and members of the wider community. Our project webpage includes links to a project film and affiliated learning resources.