Bristol's Lost City - Clive Burlton

£15.00

In 1914 a 30-acre site in Bristol, between Ashton Gate and Cumberland Basin was transformed into the Bristol International Exhibition.

It was an optimistic celebration of the achievements of Britain’s empire and dominions, half trade fair half theme park with a roller-coaster ride, daily pageants and even a troupe of lions.

Due to run from May to October the ambitious project included as replica of Bristol Castle, a mock-up of Shakespeare’s England, Drake’s ship Revenge and a series of giant white pavilions all constructed within the space of 10 weeks.

In 1914 a 30-acre site in Bristol, between Ashton Gate and Cumberland Basin was transformed into the Bristol International Exhibition.

It was an optimistic celebration of the achievements of Britain’s empire and dominions, half trade fair half theme park with a roller-coaster ride, daily pageants and even a troupe of lions.

Due to run from May to October the ambitious project included as replica of Bristol Castle, a mock-up of Shakespeare’s England, Drake’s ship Revenge and a series of giant white pavilions all constructed within the space of 10 weeks.

Bristol people nicknamed it “White City”. It soon hit financial difficulty and when war was declared on August 4, 1914 the exhibition was doomed and closed.

Needing somewhere to house the volunteer soldiers who had been recruited top join Kitchener’s New Army the exhibition buildings were transformed for military use. The site became a barracks where soldiers learned how to dig trenches and practice rifle drill in front of surreal structures.

This book, lavishly illustrated with contemporary pictures, maps and documents, tells the story of how Bristol’s transition from peacetime to wartime.

““A remarkable account of a remarkable place and event in Bristol’s history, something which was almost lost to our collective memory.””
— Eugene Byrne, Bristol Post

ISBN: 9781909446052
Size: 225mm (W) X 225mm (H)
Pages: 96
Updated version: reprinted 2023
First published: 2014

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in Bristol, Clive Burlton is an author, publisher and social historian. In 2011 he wrote his first book, Trenches to Trams, about the life of George Pine who served with the Gloucestershire Regiment in the First World War and then plied his trade on Bristol’s trams and buses for nearly 30 years.

Trenches to Trams led to the formation of Bristol Books CIC in 2012 and Clive has since written a further four titles and co-authored another three books. He has curated several exhibitions concerning the impact of the First World War in Bristol, and has produced commemorative films marking 70 years of the NHS in the City in 2018 and a documentary to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Matthew ship in 2022.

Passionate about preserving the City’s heritage, Clive is a regular speaker at community and history society events in the area, and is a Trustee of the Friends of Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives.