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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.
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.
Documentary 2019 9 mins
Without Bounds to Beat is an experimental documentary that recounts a town’s revival of an ancient folk tradition, placing it in contrast to today’s digital technologies.
Drama 2019 12 mins
An upbeat drama about 14-year-old oddball Toni who is having a tough time with the bullies at school. One day, the internet and a passion for performance saves her.
Drama 2019 12 mins
A young woman descends into a digital wormhole via her obsession with a BDSM account run by an unknown user.
Drama 2019 7 mins
A drama set in the near future where virtual reality allows a person to see life through the eyes of someone very different, which questions whether experiences become shared or commodified.
Drama 2019 7 mins
In search of an identity, Candy wanders through the digital landscape, leaving fragments of herself behind in this experimental short drama.
Documentary 2019 11 mins
A documentary on one of Scotland’s most isolated and breathtaking islands, where all 35 residents prepare for the remarkable roll-out of fibre-optic broadband.
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