A CHARITY is on the hunt is on for primary and secondary schools located in or near the historic Trafalgar Way.

It is the route taken in 1805 by the naval officer carrying first news of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Nelson from Falmouth to The Admiralty in London.

On offer is a free Wooden World workshop, designed to explore the life and times of one of this country’s most celebrated heroes and the rewards, perils and peculiarities of life at sea during the Napoleonic Wars over two centuries ago.

Gillian Knight, education programmes lead for The 1805 Club, said: “We have 20 Wooden World days on offer provided by a specialist in active approaches designed to bring the subject alive for young people,”

“And apart from the photocopying of the bespoke workshop script, there is no cost to the schools. With demand high, we encourage anyone interested to move quickly to take up this opportunity.”

Lieutenant John Lapenotiere’s amazing 38-hour, 271-mile dash (November 4-6, 1805) was made possible by the network of inns where he could change horses and sometimes his post-chaise coach.

His journey took him from Falmouth through Truro, Fraddon, Bodmin, Launceston, into Devon and up to London.

And it is the state primaries of these towns – and of the spaces between - that are the focus of the current appeal by charity The 1805 Club, which is dedicated to promoting knowledge of Nelson, Trafalgar and Lapenotiere’s break-neck Cornwall to London ride.

Workshop creator Jerome Monahan, a teacher for over 30 years, said: "The workshops are highly-interactive and cross-curricular – drawing on drama, literature, history, visual literacy and film studies. They have also proved a great prompt for creative writing even among the most reluctant to put pen to paper.”

The workshop is the culmination of several years of road-testing in state schools across the UK, and the specific programme along The Trafalgar Way has already had its first outings at Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire; Nanstallon Community Primary just outside Bodmin and Exwick Heights Primary School in Exeter.

Schools wishing to enquire about or book A Wooden World workshop should contact Gillian Knight, email gillianknight153@gmail.com.