麻豆社

It started as the biggest exhibition of its kind to ever visit the West but within weeks of opening it had turned from a fairground into a war zone.

When the organisers of the Bristol International Exhibition planned their 1914 extravaganza; it included a full size replica of the Bristol Castle, a reproduction of the birthplace of William Shakespeare plus a pageant of Bristol鈥檚 history 鈥� acted out by thousands of local men and women. The buildings could be seen from miles around, as shown in the view from Bedminster Down (pictured).

However, despite the favourable press reviews, including them dubbing it the 鈥淲hite City鈥� and the local people loving the attractions 鈥� including Bristol鈥檚 first ever rollercoaster 鈥� the Bristol International Exhibition was destined to be a financial flop.

So just three months after it had its grand opening the organisers cut their losses and shut the doors.

So what happened to the replica of Bristol鈥檚 Castle and Shakespeare England?

Location: Brunel Way, Bristol BS1 6XN
Image: A view of the White City exhibition from Bedminster Down

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