🎬 The New Forest. A film exploring the rich landscape, people and forest traditions in the post war years.

18th century Agisters and pigs with rights to wander are just some of the ancient traditions celebrated in this beguiling look at life in the New Forest. Less familiar sights are captured, too, such as broom making and logging, forestry planting and sailing on the River Beaulieu near Buckler's Hard. No film about the area would be complete, though, without the famous Forest ponies – who are seen here in all their equine glory.

Filmmaker Roy Layzell made many films during this period including other local area films such as Pipelines Under Southampton Water in 1957.

Clifton Parker was a renowned British composer. With nearly 50 feature films under his belt, including The 39 Steps in 1959 and Sink The Bismark in 1960.

John Snagge (OBE) was the voice of the BBC from the war years to his retirement in 1980.

Featuring John Snagge
Music by Clifton Parker
Filmed and Directed by Roy Layzell
Original Cinema Release 1952

The film was commissioned by the Esso Petroleum Company in 1952, just as they were establishing a new refinery on the eastern edge of the New Forest at Fawley, but Forest Heritage is entirely concerned with the natural beauty and traditions of the area: ‘A place out of this modern world where simple pleasures are enough – a miraculous survival of pre-Norman England’.

🎬A look at Eric Ashby's commitment to the study & welfare of Badgers. Particularly those of the New Forest. Narrated by David Attenborough.

It looks at his ground breaking approach to filming badgers 'close up' in a purpose built Sett. He encouraged wild badgers to visit his sett and use it as if it were there own out lying retreat.

This is Eric's third noteable film for the BBC. Previous films: The Unknown Forest (1961). The Major (1963). Eric also wrote two books. The Secret Life of the New Forest (1989). My Life With Foxes (2000). Eric died on 6th Feb 2003.

Narrated by David Attenborough
Filmed and Directed by Eric Ashby
Film Editor Charles Aldridge
Sound Hugh Pearson
Series Editor Mick Rhodes
Produced by Caroline Weaver

🎬An unnamed local filmmaker set up his camera on the top deck of a Southampton Tram. The result is a wonderful window on life in the last year of the Victorian age.

Southampton 1900, A Tram Journey. Starting at North Gate, Bargate Arch. North along Above Bar Street. Finishing at The Clock Tower, Palmerston Park.

🎬 Ytene England's Ancient Forest. An NHU Production for BBC2. Filmed over two years by Manuel Hinge and narrated by John Nettles.

'Ytene' is an ancient name for the area now known as the New Forest. It was the site of the Jutish Kingdom and translates as "Jute", or "of the Jutes". An early Anglo Saxon tribe known to live in the southern parts of Wessex.

Ytene explores the wildlife found in the New Forest in southern England. The woodland, bogs and heaths of the area are home to wild ponies, fallow deer, badgers, foxes, wildfowl, and insects. Seasonal changes are shown, and some elusive species, such as firecrests, hawfinches, woodlarks and tadpole shrimps are pictured.

The programme is interwoven with historical re-enactments and describes the change in land use from mediaeval times.

Filmed and Directed by Manuel Hinge
Music by Martin Kiszko
Film Editor Martin Elsbury
Dubbing Editor Angela Groves
Dubbing Mixer Graham Wild
Unit Manager Christina Hamilton
Production Assistant Elizabeth Toogood
Field Assistant Len Mummery
Sound Recordist Nigel Tucker
Produced by Steve Nicholls
Executive Producer John Sparks
Originally broadcast in The Natural World series 1995

This is the version as aired on BBC in 1995.
Our thanks to The Natural History Unit for supplying the original master.
Film upscaled by New Forest Gateway (Media Archive).

🎬Building a Cob house in a day. Filmed on the Beaulieu Estate by Meridian Broadcasting.

Imagine the year is 1650, a young couple, Jacob and Catherine are about to get married, but have nowhere to live together. Their respective houses are already over-crowded. Up to 10 or more people would live in a Cob house 25 feet long and 13 feet wide.

Hence the practice of erecting a house in a single day by the whole village for the newly-weds. A communal venture. Once the house was completed, the householder would treat their guests to a party of eating, drinking and dancing.

But how was it possible to build a house in a little over sixteen hours, and could it be re-attempted 350 years later? The following is an account of an incredible day and a brilliant group of volunteers who made it all possible.

Our thanks to the staff at Meridian Broadcasting in Northam for their help in sourcing this film.

🎬British Pathé – A look at how cattle which roam on the New Forest prairies are rounded up and checked once a year. New Forest, Hampshire. L/S of a red van driving up a leafy road, it passes some cows stood at the side. Various shots of cattle grazing at the side of the road as cars drive past. L/S of several people on horseback rounding the cattle up in a prairie. Various shots as they round the cattle up and herd them up the prairie. L/S as the cattle walk through a stream followed by seven herders. Various shots as the herders on horseback follow the cattle. Various shots of the cattle herded together, M/S as they go into a field. C/U of one of the men on a horse. M/S of the cows crowded together, M/S as they are herded under a tree. M/S as a man approaches one with a pair of clippers, M/S as he clips a bit of hair away from the cow's back. C/U as he brushes it away to reveal the letter 'R' branded on its back. M/S as another man clips a cow, C/U of a young man looking on. M/S of a man putting a rope round a heifer's neck. M/S of a man on horseback. M/S as a heifer is pulled along by the rope