The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
This film is part of Free
Blue John Mine
Armed with only a hammer and chisel Cyril Harrison sets to work extracting Derbyshire's famous Blue John stone - a prize rumoured to have been treasured since Roman times.
From the collection of:
Overview
The Treak Cliff outside Castleton in Derbyshire is the only site in Europe where Blue John is mined. The decorative fluorspar can be worked into jewellery or bowls and, as miner Cyril Harrison shows ATV Today's Barri Haynes, it's hard physical work that requires an expert eye. Luckily the Harrison family has been in sole charge of Treak Cavern since 1945 so Barri is in a safe pair of expert hands.
Related
Watch for free
The Peak National Park The Peak National Park
Amateur film 1971 10 mins Location: Castleton
Accomplished film director Anthony Armstrong, aged 11, presents his fascinating film about a family holiday in Derbyshire's Peak District
Watch for free
A Field Trip from Castleton A Field Trip from Castleton
1975 21 mins Silent Location: Castleton
Put on your walking boots and join a couple of 1970s outdoors enthusiasts on a tour around the Hope Valley in Derbyshire.
Watch for free
The Yorkshire Moors The Yorkshire Moors
Amateur film 1950 9 mins Silent Location: Wheeldale Moor
Discover the well-kept secrets of the North York Moors in this idyllic amateur travelogue.
Watch for free
Alvey: Derbyshire Customs Alvey: Derbyshire Customs
Amateur film 1962 23 mins Silent Location: Alfreton
From Well Dressing to Garland Day and even elephants in Alfreton - a celebration of the traditional customs of Derbyshire in this reel from amateur filmmaker Fred Alvey.
Watch for free
Workers at Barlow and Tweedale Ironworks, Castleton Nr Rochdale (1905) Workers at Barlow and Tweedale Ironworks, Castleton Nr Rochdale (1905)
Non-Fiction 1905 3 mins Silent Location: Castleton
Workers and wagons pass through the main gate of an engineering factory in Edwardian Lancashire.
Watch for free
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Watch for free
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Watch for free
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Watch for free
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Watch for free
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Watch for free
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.