“Oh mother I’m ashamed to come home in this state, but I've had no time at all to clean up. I was able to get through, and I came through, and came on home.”

Tom King on leave in 1916, as remembered by his sister Beatrice

“I walked miles on a Sunday morning with Katherine Asquith ... All their young men are killed.”

Edwin Lutyens in a letter to his wife 1919

From family memories to historic records, we are exploring the impact of the First World War on the village of Mells

Mells is one of many idyllic villages across England permanently marked by terrible losses in the First World War.

In Home of our Delight we are exploring the stories of the young men marked on the village memorial, and of their families.

As well as gamekeepers, gardeners and colliery workers these men included the last son and heir of the Horner family and Mells estate, and his brother-in-law, the son of the wartime Prime Minister.

Explore our findings on the impact of World War 1 at home, expressed through letters, diaries, artefacts and a unique collection of commissioned memorials.

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Home of our Delight
Exhibition

Home of our Delight Exhibition Resources
Although the Home of our Delight exhibition is now closed, due to popular request, all the exhibition panels and the supporting booklet are now available to download below.

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Home of our Delight
History Trail Launch

Home of our Delight History Trail, Mells
Mells village BA11 3PF
Circular walk exploring Mells a hundred years ago.
Trail leaflets available at Mells Shop and Cafe, or St Andrew's Church, Mells.
Digital walk available to download below.

Download walk here

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Get Involved

There are lots of ways you can get involved with Home of our Delight. As well as helping us research and deliver a very special heritage project, this is also a great way to learn new skills, meet new people, and perhaps join us on visits to other places with a historical relevance to Mells.

How to get involved