A COLLECTION of rare and previously unseen historical footage of coastal life in the South West of England has been made available on BFI Player as part of British Film Institute’s Britain on Film: Coast and Sea national project.

They are so fascinating we’ll be publishing some stills from the films over the succeeding weeks.

This first week we’ll begin with amazing shots of Bridport’s most historic industry – net making.

There’s an interactive map so anyone interested can find archive footage of their area – there is footage of net making in Bridport from 1962, the carnival from 1978, West Bay from 1945, Lyme Regis water skiing from 1997, homeland holidaying in the area in 1937, the fossil man of Charmouth from 1965, John Fowles and the list goes on.

There are films spanning 100 years, covering subjects including Conger Eel fishing, Australian lifeguards, flooding and leisure.

Filmed by professional filmmakers and amateur hobbyists alike, these glimpses into the past, many of which have never been available before, have been sourced and curated by the BFI National Archive along with regional and national film archives across the UK, including the South West Film & Television Archive (SWFTA), to offer the public the opportunity to witness past generations’ relationships with coastal Britain.

Robin Baker, head curator, BFI National Archive said: “Britain on Film has been a transformative project for the BFI and our partner archives.

“It has demonstrated that millions of people across the UK want to engage with their film heritage‎. Comprising over a century of filmmaking, Britain on Film has highlighted some of the lesser known films from our collections, some of which not even curators had seen before, and provided them with audiences that are often bigger than on their first release.

“There are over 600 newly added films, contextualised by curators, exploring lives led and holidays enjoyed around the UK coast. As such there are now even greater opportunities for people to while away hours watching and making discoveries about British film heritage.”

Jilly Payne, SWFTA Programmes Director added: “Britain on Film has been a truly interesting venture for our archive. It has enabled us not only to discover and share local stories but also to champion the lesser known filmmaker who was there to capture the moving heritage of the lives of ordinary or famous people. Communities, old and new, have been dependent on the coast and the sea for livelihood and leisure and the films portray the very heart of the people who live in the South West of England as well as its many and varied visitors.”

Since Britain on Films launch, more than 30 million people have accessed their country’s film heritage through BFI Player and social media channels. 

With this new collection over 7,500 films can now be seen online – 97 per cent of which are free. By 2018, thanks to National Lottery funding and the support of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, 10,000 film and TV titles from 1895 to the present day will be newly digitised and available to view.