Videos

As the oldest part of Barnstaple, Pilton was granted a charter to hold an annual market by Edward III in the 14th Century. In 1982, the Rector of St Mary's Church - Rev. Anthony Geering - was instrumental in the revival of the market as part of a month long programme of events in June and July with an historic pageant, a medieval market in Pilton Street, an exhibition in the Pilton Bluecoat School, fêtes at Pathfield School, Bradiford House and elsewhere, and a Flower Festival and Summer Concert in the Church.

Clifford Davies of Pilton made a 33 minute long film of that first Pilton Festival and here, by way of a taster, are a few minutes abstracted from it following transfer from Super8 film by the Pilton Festival Committee in agreement with Clifford's daughter, Jennie, in 2009.

The film quality is not brilliant (and it has been edited hard to get under the 10 minutes allowed by YouTube) but it gives a very good idea of what the first festival of the modern era was like.

The full film was first shown in Pilton again in January 2012 at the new Pilton Cinema in Pilton Church Hall.

The full film is now also available on the archive if you follow this link:

http://vimp.thepiltonstory.org/youtube/Pilton-Festival-1982-by-Clifford-...

Thanks to Clifford Davies for making it in the first place and Jennie Thomson for not throwing it away!