Fen is the old English and North European word for bogland and swamp. The fens comprise south-east Lincolnshire, north Cambridgeshire and north-west Norfolk, taking in the lower basins of the rivers Witham, Welland, Nene and Great Ouse. It is a plain: 75 miles north-west to south-west and 36 miles west to east, totalling some 700 square miles. The only remaining area which shows a fen as it once was is at Wicken. In this 1970 documentary, part of the Regions in Britain series, you will discover landmarks such as the church in West Keal, Tattershall Castle and Ely Cathedral.

Attempts had been made to drain the fens before 1630, but in that year fourteen “Adventurers” who were merchants and under the leadership of the Earl of Bedford, all risked their fortunes nad employed Cornelius Vermuyden to do the job properly. This man-made country, won back from the swamps, is now the richest agricultural land in England; the land of corn, sugarbeet, potatoes and, since the beginning of the 20th century, the centre of England’s bulb growing industry.

For more information about Shell’s Historic Film Archive please contact: [email protected]

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Shell’s surprising and captivating Historic Film Archive dates from 1934 and covers a rich mix of topics from technology, science and engineering to craftsmanship, motorsport and travelogue.

The Shell Film Unit, responsible for the content, was a highly celebrated part of Britain’s Documentary Movement. Key figures from that movement were involved, including: Jack Beddington, Edgar Anstey, Arthur Elton, John Grierson, Kay Mander, Stuart Legg and Douglas Gordon.

Its films were wide reaching, often screened in cinemas and through the non-theatric film distribution circuit, which brought film to educational establishments and organisations across the UK. While many films covered technological themes related to Shell’s activities, others were entirely unrelated and served purely to educate the general public.

As Shell innovated in technologies that would provide oil and gas products for the world, the Shell Film Unit also innovated in the technological advancement of film, incorporating graphics and different forms of animation as early as the 1930s.

During WW2 the Shell Film Unit was co-opted into war effort, making films for the Ministry of Information’s film division. Its prowess in technological documentary suited the MoI’s need for technical training films.

While the name and the medium has changed many times over the years, the documentary tradition lives on at Shell. Its contemporary film team is part of Shell’s multi-disciplinary in-house agency, Creative Solutions. It continues making award-winning factual content that informs and educates the public, now usually released on social media platforms.