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Could these holidaymakers have imagined the violent potential of an idyllic Devon landscape?
1921 12 mins Silent
Tourists potter around beautiful coastal scenery in Devon that would one day witness devastation. This attractive travelogue offers a valuable record of how Lynmouth looked before deadly flooding destroyed the harbour village in 1952. Seeing a stunning vista filmed from the cliffside railway, it's easy to see why romantic authors like R.D. Blackmore (of Lorna Doone fame) were inspired by this rugged corner of Exmoor.
A favourite spot of the painter Gainsborough and the poet Wordsworth, this was long considered a special area in the British creative imagination. But only when a funicular railway was built in 1890 between Lynton and Lynmouth did it take off as a holiday destination. With its succession of masterfully composed shots of the local geography - including Castle Rock and Doone Valley - this visual showcase still makes a compelling case to book a visit. The 1952 floods are the subject of Lynmouth - A One Time Beauty Spot (1952) and Lynmouth Floods' Anniversary (1977), both also available on BFI Player.
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Non-Fiction 1898 2 mins Silent Location: Barnstaple
A 'phantom ride' along a fondly remembered Devon railway, crossing the distinctive Taw Bridge into Barnstaple on the way to Ilfracombe
Non-Fiction 1902 9 mins Silent Location: Portishead
A fine variety of views of the Avon gorge taken from various positions downstream from the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Non-Fiction 1923 3 mins Silent Location: Plymouth
Get that Kruschen Feeling! Pram race to fundraise for the Palace Theatre
Travelogue 1920 12 mins Silent Location: Porth
Eden before the Project: a magical, whimsical travelogue of Cornish beauty spots.
Travelogue 1926 12 mins Silent Location: Glastonbury
Blessed are the cheesemakers of Somerset in this tour of Cheddar and nearby Glastonbury.
Non-Fiction 1926 5 mins Silent Location: Barnstaple
Join the crowds in Barnstaple for fairground attractions
News 1971 5 mins Location: Lynton
John Doyle is in this special report on the summer season and arrives in Lynton and Lynmouth.
Non-Fiction 1935 10 mins Silent Location: Lynton
Political uncertainty at home and abroad roots holidays at home.
News 1966 5 mins Location: Lynton
Victorian lift offers water-powered ups and downs.
Non-Fiction 1935 5 mins Silent Location: Lynton
A trip from Exeter to see the Lynton Light Railway in the year of its closure
News 1977 5 mins Location: Lynton
The 25th Anniversary of the Lynton and Lynmouth Flood
Non-Governmental Organisations sponsored film 1957 25 mins Silent Location: Exeter
A trip up Lynton & Lynmouth’s stunning water-powered railway is one of the highlights the British Deaf Association’s trip to Exeter in the 1950s.
Advert 1967 2 mins Location: Devon
Mrs Cross takes the Daz test but what will the outcome be?
Advert 1954 20 mins
Points of view from a production company at the outset of commercial television in the UK.
Advert 1938 1 mins Silent
From out of the vaults comes this pre-WWII cinema advert for ice-cream
Advert 1953 2 mins
A hard-working Catford clippie and her family star in this cinema ad for hot chocolate.
Advert 1972 1 mins
In 1972 Britain entered the European common market full of beans. What could go wrong?
Advert 1952 2 mins
A cup of Horlicks helps a struggling husband bring home the bacon in this 1950s advert.
