The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free
Shire horses' Competition in Minehead
Shire horses compete and farmers compare furrows
In partnership with:
Overview
A duo of shire horses plough a field in the traditional manner. Shire horses have tirelessly served man for centuries, in battle, on the land and in transporting goods. The term Shire horse was first used in the 17th Century and they are bred to be large and strong. Primarily they are used as cart horses moving goods from the docks into the countryside and traditionally for delivering ale to public houses.
In 1878 the British organisation the Shire Horse Society was founded originally as the English Cart Horse Society. Shire horses were exported to the USA but due to WWII and the increase in mechanisation the need to draft horses fell and the 1950s and 1960s saw the lowest numbers of shire horses in both the UK and US. The Shire horse has won many awards for being both the largest and tallest breed. They normally stand at 17 hands in height but in 1848 a shire horse named Mammoth stood at 21.2 hands.
Related
Wish You Were Here at Butlins Minehead Wish You Were Here at Butlins Minehead
News 1966 6 mins Location: Minehead
Clive Gunnell takes Mrs Sotherton on a convincing tour of Butlins Minehead.
Butlin's opens at Minehead Butlin's opens at Minehead
News 1962 3 mins Silent Location: Minehead
Billy Butlin expands his empire by opening a new resort at Minehead.
Minehead - 1932 - Osborne Personal Film Minehead - 1932 - Osborne Personal Film
Amateur film 1932 45 mins Silent Location: Minehead
A Somerset holiday with prolific amateur cinematographers the Tigg family
Horse Ploughing Competition Horse Ploughing Competition
Current affairs 1963 1 mins Silent Location: Minehead
Competition for trailing heavy horse drawn equipment enthuses ploughmen
Cheddar Cheddar
Travelogue 1916 1 mins Silent Location: Cheddar Gorge
Pure tranquillity in rural Somerset, a world away from the war raging on the continent.
Minehead Town's Bob Boyd Interview Minehead Town's Bob Boyd Interview
Non-Fiction 1977 2 mins Location: Minehead
Minehead Town's player-manager Bob Boyd on FA Cup tie with Exeter City
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.