At Wessex Film and Sound Archive you can see and hear history, from late Victorian times to the present day, through moving images and sound recordings. The Archive contains over 36,000 film and sound recordings relating to Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, including film and tapes of local TV and radio.
This film is part of Free
A Trip around Portsmouth Harbour
We're on the water with the Mary Rose expedition team in this short film from Ilse McKee - with great views of warships and an aircraft carrier
From the collection of:
Overview
Starting with a view of Tony Glover's fishing boat, which was used by the expedition team, we get views of nearby warships at the moorings. We also see Greyhound, a rubber dinghy, being towed by the expedition's catamaran. A team member sits aboard the dinghy seemingly at peace with his pipe. Alongside an aircraft carrier we see helicopters on its deck before returning to a view of Portsdown Hill in the distance.
Author, playwright and poet Alexander McKee was a member of the Southsea branch of the British Sub Aqua Club. He began a project to trace the whereabouts of Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose. After his proposal to locate the wreck was dismissed by the National Maritime Museum in 1965, McKee and his team determined to continue with the project. After many set-backs and a constant lack of funds, the team, now including archaeologist Margaret Rule, found one of the ship's iron guns in 1970. The rest of the ship was found eight months later. As more experts became involved in the project McKee’s role diminished, though he remained with the team. He was later awarded an OBE for his efforts to locate the Mary Rose.
Related
Watch for free
A New dinghy for the Mary Rose expedition A New dinghy for the Mary Rose expedition
Amateur film 1971 3 mins Silent Location: Portsmouth Harbour
It's high tide at Portsmouth Harbour as members of the Mary Rose expedition examine their latest acquisitions in this short film from Ilse McKee
Watch for free
Portsmouth & Southampton during the summer of 1929 Portsmouth & Southampton during the summer of 1929
Amateur film 1929 9 mins Silent Location: Portsmouth Harbour
Come aboard a jolly mini-cruise around the Solent in this fascinating 1929 film from Ralph Staley - featuring his wife Ellen, his daughter Pam and the Mauretania
Watch for free
Guernsey Again - Trying Our Hand at Farming Guernsey Again - Trying Our Hand at Farming
Home movie 1930 17 mins Silent Location: Guernsey
Join Lewis Rosenberg and his friends on holiday in Guernsey where they milk cows, feed chickens, lark about on the beach and attempt to surf
Watch for free
Isle of Wight Isle of Wight
Amateur film 1953 11 mins Silent Location: Bembridge Harbour
Join the Corders on a family holiday to the Isle of Wight - complete with beaches, boats and a rare glimpse of an all-metal flying Princess
Watch for free
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.
Watch for free
George Clooney in Conversation George Clooney in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 74 mins
George Clooney visited BFI Southbank to look back on his life and career.
Watch for free
Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 65 mins
The Oscar®- winning director of Nomadland discusses her unique approach to filmmaking and the inspiration behind the adaptation of Hamnet.
Watch for free
Edgar Wright on The Running Man Edgar Wright on The Running Man
Inside Film 2025 28 mins
The director talks to Mark Kermode about putting Stephen King's dystopian life-or-death gameshow thriller through its paces.
Watch for free
Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 69 mins
Richard Linklater discusses his remarkable and wide-ranging body of work, including Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague.
Watch for free
Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 73 mins
Daniel Day-Lewis, the ultimate actor’s actor discusses his career in conversation with Mark Kermode.