Lost footage of Bath to be screened

Long-lost footage of Bath is to receive a special screening in the city at the cinema in which it was re-discovered.

The travel documentary Bath: Queen of the West, filmed in 1952 and presented by Richard Dimbleby, was found in 2010.

It was uncovered on some dusty old reels in the corner of the projection room in Bath's Little Theatre cinema.

It is thought the cinema screened the footage in the 1960s but forgot to return it.

The British Film Institute (BFI) confirmed the footage had been considered lost for years.

The film depicts a post-war Bath before redevelopment work took place in the 1960s and with walls still covered in soot.

Dick Fiddy, of the BFI, said: "This is a genuine new find from the early days of TV and an intriguing travelogue featuring a fascinating look at Bath of the 1950s."

Broadcast as part of the About Britain series, the programme takes in the Roman Baths where Dimbleby talks to the assistant curator about excavations on the site.

The programme also features a history of the city and looks at the Georgian architecture of Prior Park, the Royal Crescent and Circus.

Bath: Queen of the West is being screened at the Little Theatre on Sunday at 15:00 BST.