The Extraordinary and the Everyday: A Year in the Life of a Rural Community, 1914-15 has followed the fortunes of the small Warwickshire community of Avon Dassett from the month that war broke out until August 1915.
The whole village was consumed by the war effort: hosting evacuated Belgian children; donating produce and money; curtailing leisure activities; volunteering as reservists or nurses; and of course, for the men, enlisting for active service. At the same time, ordinary life had to continue, and the Rural District Council battled with health, sanitation, roads and drainage issues.
The Lord of the Manor of Avon Dassett, William Holbech of the neighbouring Farnborough Hall was the first local fatality He rejoined his regiment in August, sailed to Belgium and was mortally injured in the first battle of Ypres, dying in London at the end of October 1914. Herbert Cooper was the first Avon Dassett man to lose his life. He was posted as missing presumed dead in May 1915 and his body was never found. In all, three local men died during the war.
No new information will be published on the blog but it will remain as an archive of a remarkable year in the life of the village.
Avon Dassett Local History Group would like to thank the sponsors of the project: the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Dassett Country Show and Avon Dassett Parish Council.
The project researchers were Jill Burgess, Mike Lewis, Margaret Maughan and Sarah Richardson.
End of Project Exhibition at the Dassett Country Show, August 1 2015
