VIDEO/DVD

In the archives we currently hold the following professionally-made films:

TELEVISION

Walsingham features occasionally on television, sometimes in Songs of Praise from the shrines at Walsingham and Ladyewell. EWTN have also made documentaries about it.

OLD FILM

In 1938 the Church Union produced a set of three black and white films: of Kelham, of Walsingham (the Blessing of the new Shrine Church on 6 June) and a composite of the Anglo-Catholic Congresses and events. Sometimes they are referred to as four because as well as the main film of the Blessing of the Shrine Church there was also a shorter different colour film of the same occasion. At the time it was sometimes written that the Anglo-Catholic Congress had produced these films, but this was only because the English Church Union and the Anglo-Catholic Congress had united in 1933 to form the newly-titled "Church Union". They were one and the same.

The Walsingham film is in the archives and thanks to the generosity of two members of the Partnership has been professionally restored. At the time this film was hired out to parishes and groups, both in the months remaining before the outbreak of War, and for some years afterwards.

Out of interest we have been trying to locate the other two films. A copy of the Kelham film is in the British Film Institute's National Archive. So far we have not found the third one (this should have many Walsingham personalities in it), although the BFI does hold a film of the first Congress meeting in 1920.

Another film, called "A Legend of Norfolk", was made by the Catholic Truth Society at roughly the same time. It was prepared by H G Gillett, a well known local Roman Catholic, author of several books on Walsingham. It was shown in the area many times, including to the Royal Family at Sandringham in 1937. Copies of it are in the British Film Institute's National Archive in London (as above), in the East Anglian Film Archive in the University of East Anglia and in our own archives. For a contemporary synopsis click here.

In 1960 a film called "The Walsingham Story" was made by Fr Ronald Wills, curate of St Clement's, Leigh-on-Sea (Essex). It was shown to parishes and groups for many years thereafter. If anyone has a copy or knows where one might be, please contact the archivist.

To see the very best introductory film of the Walsingham story you must go to Walsingham! An eight-minute film was professionally made for continuous showing in the Welcome Centre and is arguably the best of its kind.

CINE FILM

There are numerous small reels of cine film in the archives, and we know of pilgrims who have made their own longer films, especially at the National. If anyone would like us to record that a film exists in their possession, in case one day something was requested as part of a larger film production, or for any other reason, please contact the archivist.