Green Spaces
Spring has sprung, and summer is approaching. As the capital begins to catch some less than reliable sunshine, this gallery showcases films capturing London's parks and green spaces - "the answer to the clutter and the clatter of the town", as one film's narrator suggests.
Featured are charming amateur filmmaking, post-war municipal documentaries, and even a romcom short set in Battersea Pleasure Park. Prominent locations include Kew Gardens, St James's and Holland Park, as we see Londoners enjoy varied leisure pastimes through the eras – but having a snooze in a deckchair is truly timeless. Breathe in the fresh air and smell the Kodak-coloured flowers!
Films in this gallery
Danson Park
Amateur film recording Bexley's Danson Park.
About Hampstead
A film celebrating the surrounds of Hampstead.
Battersea Park and Funfair
A short amateur film recording the Battersea Fun Fair in Battersea Park.
Green Islands
A film made for the London County Council about the London's parks and open spaces they operate, showing them through…
London's Green Heritage
A documentary about London's parks.
Fair's Fair
A woman has opportunities for romance among the attractions of the Battersea Park Pleasure Gardens (but does not choose to…
Colourful London No. 1
An amateur film of 'colourful' London.
Topical Budget: Catch-As-Catch-Can, Finsbury Park (1926)
London park hosts wrestling contest
St James's Park
Views of St James's Park
Holland Park
With the help of some clever editing, amateur filmmaker Sydney Martin turns a wander round a sculpture exhibition into an…
Kew Gardens during the War
Taken during the war, a blooming Kew Gardens is captured beautifully in Kodachrome by an amateur filmmaker.
It's Our Park: a film about Southwark Park in the Summer of 2014
Leisurely celebration of Southwark Park, its history, regeneration and current users and staff.
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Easy as ABC
Skip class today and immerse yourself in our carefully selected films covering nearly a century of school-going.