At Wessex Film and Sound Archive you can see and hear history, from late Victorian times to the present day, through moving images and sound recordings. The Archive contains over 36,000 film and sound recordings relating to Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, including film and tapes of local TV and radio.
This film is part of Free
Video Player is loading.
The Woolston Ferry
Fans of floating bridges will enjoy this nostalgic film about a long gone piece of Southampton history - the Woolston Ferry across the River Itchen
From the collection of:
Overview
This fascinating short film starts with a wide view of the Woolston Chain Ferry, a floating bridge, about to dock after making its short passage across the River Itchen. We see foot passengers waiting on the slipway prior to boarding. The chains which propel the ferry are also seen. After some onboard views, we end with a shot looking from the slipway which shows the ferry halfway across the river as well as a second ferry on the opposite shore.
The Woolston Ferry, as it was locally known, was first inaugurated in November 1836 and remained in operation until 1977, when a fixed bridge across the River Itchen was finally opened. There had been a plan beforehand to build a swing bridge over the Itchen but local fishermen and the Northam Bridge Company, which charged high tolls for the use of its own bridge, strongly objected. Even the Admiralty raised concerns though also suggesting that a floating bridge be constructed instead. The ferry was very popular with workers commuting between Woolston and Southampton and has since been immortalised in a folk song sung by 'Gutta Percha and the Balladeers.'
Related
Watch for free
Turn-Up for Tony Turn-Up for Tony
Comedy 1968 29 mins Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
A Tyne Tees Television comedy romance is a forgotten gem from a 1960s decade of radical urban change in Newcastle.
Watch for free
The Body Beautiful The Body Beautiful
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1990 24 mins
Autobiographical account of a mother-daughter relationship, exploring beauty standards and female sexuality.
Watch for free
The Finishing Line The Finishing Line
Instructional film/TV programme 1977 21 mins
In this surrealist short, John Krish and Michael Gilmour tell a perilous tale at the railway station. Mind the gap - this is going to get scary.
Watch for free
Walsall Market Walsall Market
News 1973 6 mins Location: Walsall
The sights and sounds of Walsall Market
Watch for free
Llanddwyn Island Llanddwyn Island
Home movie 1955 8 mins Silent Location: Llanddwyn Island/Ynys Llanddwyn
Sea pinks and samphire, lighthouses and church ruins – Llanddwyn’s charms are many and varied.
Watch for free
A Dog Called Discord A Dog Called Discord
Documentary 2023 23 mins
BAFTA-winning director Mark Jenkin (BAIT, Enys Men) explores his fascination with the magic of film.
Watch for free
If I Make It To The Morning If I Make It To The Morning
Drama 2024 9 mins
A Chinese teenager dreams of living with her cool aunt in New York, until tensions boil over during a crab dinner.
Watch for free
We’ll Go Down in History We’ll Go Down in History
Documentary 2025 25 mins
Two years in the life of TRUK United FC, a beacon for positive change and trans inclusivity in football.
Watch for free
Wrong Bathroom Wrong Bathroom
Drama 2024 9 mins
A trans high-schooler is tempted by toxic masculinity in the boys’ bathroom.
Watch for free
Dragfox Dragfox
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2024 8 mins
A child struggling with their identity and a charismatic fox (voiced by Sir Ian McKellen) learn to embrace their differences in this heart warming stop-motion animation.
Watch for free
Wait, Wait, Now! Wait, Wait, Now!
Drama 2024 13 mins
A Maori and a Kiwi teen buddy up to raid their mum’s wardrobe and pucker their lips with red.
Watch for free
NGGAK!!! NGGAK!!!
Drama 2024 8 mins
‘I pronounce you wife and wife.’ A young couple design their perfect wedding online, but then mum dials in.