This film is part of Free
Mediaeval Village
Laxton, an unusual Nottinghamshire village, takes the starring role in a film that was famed in its day.
Overview
The unusual village of Laxton, Nottinghamshire, is the star of this ambitious and important educational film from Gaumont-British Instructional. What makes Laxton special is the rare survival there of the open-field system of strip-farming common fields. This system, along with the history of the area, is explained with crystal clarity thanks to an inventive array of lucid techniques. With a touch of pageantry, the film paints an evocative picture of a unique living connection to feudal times.
In the field of educational filmmaking, Mediaeval Village was a genuinely famous film in its day. Greatly admired for its novel concept and fluent integration of maps, graphics and live action, it was considered a significant step forward in the use of film as a classroom teaching aid. JB Holmes was a prolific and skilled director whose career deserves to be better known. Popular historian and broadcaster RS Lambert, an academic adviser on the film, was an early governor of the BFI. A year after this film was made, he was at the centre of the 'Talking Mongoose' slander case.
Related
Laxton Laxton
Documentary 1975 28 mins Location: Laxton
A unique survivor from medieval England: the ancient farming practices of Laxton in Nottinghamshire.
On Falling - Exclusive Q&A On Falling - Exclusive Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
Writer-director Laura Carreira talks to Nia Childs about her debut feature, On Falling.
Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.
All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.