London’s Screen Archives enables Londoners see their past come alive on film. Managed by Film London, we are a unique network of historic film collections that cares for, collects and screens heritage film across the city. Together we preserve London’s rich film heritage from feature films to home movies, public information films, newsreels, and records of the capital’s many different industries.
This film is part of Free

Herons on Walthamstow Reservoir June 1951
Regal herons and their young are filmed in the urban wilderness of Walthamstow Reservoir in this home movie shot from a hide in the 1950s.
From the collection of:

Overview
Lovely colour footage of herons on Walthamstow Reservoir. Filmed from a hide, this captures the birds making nests, sitting in trees, caring for young and generally looking simultaneously ragged and regal. Some occasional long-distance shots show the herons in flight, while others fleetingly place the reservoir in a wider context. Also features lovely film of heron fishing on the River Deveron in Scotland in 1946.
Related

Duke and Duchess of York... Hospital at Walthamstow Duke and Duchess of York... Hospital at Walthamstow
Non-Fiction 1927 1 mins Silent Location: Walthamstow
The future King George VI and future Queen Mother pay a whistlestop tour of a new hospital extension in Walthamstow

Attlee at Walthamstow Attlee at Walthamstow
Party political broadcast 1954 17 mins Location: Walthamstow
One of Britain’s earliest surviving party political broadcasts.

Walthamstow Charter Day Celebrations Walthamstow Charter Day Celebrations
Non-Fiction 1929 1 mins Silent Location: Walthamstow
Crowds cheer and the mayor speaks as Walthamstow celebrates becoming a municipal borough in 1929.

Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.

All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.

Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.

Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.

Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.

Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.