As flood-hit households were evacuated in Devon and Somerset, Christian Malford Primary School pupils learned what life was like for wartime evacuees.

Children aged seven and eight went to school dressed as Second World War evacuees, pretended to board trains and wrote imaginary letters home.

They made Anderson air raid shelters out of materials from Wiltshire Scrapstore at Bowden Hill, Lacock.

Jake Miles, a teacher of Years 3 and 4, said: “What with all the floods in places like Somerset and people getting evacuated out of their homes at the moment, that’s helped them to understand what evacuation is.

“It really brought to life something that happened 70 years ago; gave them a taste of what life was like.

“Their costumes were great and next year they’re doing a World War Two play. They loved their farm visit. It was all a bit All Creatures Great and Small.”

The children went to Beanhill Farm in Main Road in the village.

Farmer Belinda Kimber said: “The kids came across the fields from school to see how farms work, as a lot of the evacuees were sent to farms.

“They got the chance to bed up the sheep and the vet brought his scanner, so they could see the calves in the pregnant cows’ tummies.”

Beanhill Farm has pedigree sheep and Simmental and Charolais cattle and are often visited by Acorn Pre-school at lambing time.