East Anglia

A travelogue of East Anglia- mainly focusing on Harwich, Ipswich, Yarmouth and Norwich.

An animated map shows East Anglia. This begins with the distinction between the 'North Folk' and the 'South Folk'. as the film progresses the map shows other regions in East Anglia and then the principle towns.There are aerial shots showing the patchwork landscape of East Anglia. The chalk plateau is illustrated. The various types of landscape feature, showing the crops growing on the different types of soil. All scenes include long and close-up shots of the crops involved - wheat, barley, sugar beet and potatoes.A harvest sequence shows a Massey-Harris tanker combine with grain going into sacks. Sugar beet lifting is shown and in the Fens, potatoes are thrown onto a tumbrill from the baskets. In Breckland there are shots of the heath and forest. There are also general shots of Broads landscape. Red Poll Cattle also feature as an example of the East Anglian heritage in breeding farm animals.The principle towns covered are Harwich, Ipswich, Lowestoft, Yarmouth and Norwich. At Harwich there are brief shots of the port, showing cargo wagons being loaded and a steamer leaving the port. Scenes from Lowestoft and Yarmouth show boats being built and repaired. There are also shots of the drifters at the quay and of the market. At Norwich, there is an aerial shot of the City including the Royal Hotel and the Cathedral. There are scenes from the interior of the Norvic factory, showing men at work making shoes by machine and by hand. At Ipswich, there are scenes from the docks and also of an agricultural machinery factory. This shows the metal working in the factory and the finished products. The film ends with scenes of a tractor ploughing, neatly tying up the beginning and end of the film.

Featured Buildings

The Royal Hotel, Norwich; Norwich Cathedral

Intertitles

The ancient kingdom of the East Angles. Isolated up to medieval times from the rest of England by swamp and forest. Now consists of fairly flat agricultural land. Under the drift and boulder clay left by the glaciers of the last ice age lies a low plateau of chalk. The fertile soil with the suitability of the climate makes the most extensive cornlands in Britain. The heavier soil is suitable for wheat. The lighter soil grows barley....and oats. Another important crop is sugar beet. Fenlands lie to the Northwest with rich alluvial soil.It is rich arable land, very suitable for potatoes. Breckland - an area in mid East Anglia of poor sandy soil. The Forestry Commission is utilising this land for the growing of trees for timber. The Broads are large, shallow stretches of water. They are all that remain of former lakes and are gradually being filled up by river deposits. In the valleys and in the slat marshes of East Anglia considerable numbers of cattle are kept. East Anglia is noted for the breeds of sheep, horses and cattle which were developed in the region. Red Poll Cattle. The Principle towns of East Anglia. HARWICH - Port for Belgium and Holland. Lowestoft and Yarmouth - Two main herring fishing ports. Fishing boats are built and repaired. Norwich - The biggest city and commercial centre in East Anglia. Principle industry in Norwich is the manufacture of footwear. Ipswich - a centuries old port. Ipswich has many industries - mostly connected with agriculture and manufacture of agricultural machinery. The End. East Anglia.

Other Places

Harwich; Lowestoft; Yarmouth; Norwich; Ipswich

Background Information

This film was re-made by Boulton-Hawker Films in 1970.