The Upper juniors have been studying the Stortford to Braintree Railway (now The Flitch Way) for their local history topic. A Victorian gentleman, by name of Charles Wall, has been writing to us by means of a Time Travel Box! Living in 1860, just before the railway was built, he wished to know whether it was worth building, what it was used for and how it managed to cross the hills and valleys.

Of course, we researched the subject including interviewing a former train driver who drove on the Braintree to Stortford Railway, and we wrote back to Charles. In fact several letters went to and fro, and even a box of homemade Victorian fudge made its way through time.

I think our favourite discovery was that of The Great Horse Manure Crisis of 1894 when the streets of London were literally drowning in horse muck! Sadly the introduction of railways didn’t solve the problem – it took the invention of cars to do that.

Earlier this week, years 5 and 6 presented their findings to the Lower Juniors and then to Year 7 and 8, using pictures, models, maps and verbal and written explanations.