Archive Close, Aston Clinton

 

In my post of the 30th June, I included this note from the latest Sight and Sound magazine.

How to build an archive by Pamela Hutchinson.

A review of the BFI National Film Library now called The National Archive. Starting with it's being established in 1935 (with its first curator Ernest Lingren) up to 1945. The beginnings of how films were collected and the appeal that by 1936 there were seven hundred films including precious Chaplin and Hitchcock titles. In the early part of the second world war, the collection found "a permanent location (just down the road) in Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire", "to live in a temperature controlled environment".

Despite exhaustive searches on the internet, I have failed to determine the exact address. It's possible that this was Aston Clinton House (now demolished) on the grounds of what is now the Green Park Centre. In the History of the Archive for the BFI, we find "In 1940 the BFI opened it's first state of the art film archive  at Aston Clinton"

I then filled in a contact form for the BFI to see if anyone there knew the answer. I was amazed that two hours later I received this reply:

Dear David Roberts 

 

Thank you for your enquiry.

The National Film Archive was originally situated on Green End Street, roughly equidistant between the Oak & The Partridge Arms pubs in Aston Clinton. The Archive building was knocked down, and a small housing estate was built on the former location, now called Archive Close. There is a plaque commerating the Archive on the street sign which reads: "The National Archive was on this site from 1939 to 1987." 

 We hope this is of assistance. 

Best wishes, 

Archive Access

BFI National Archive

So this morning I took the very short journey to Archive Close, only a hundred meters from the Oak pub where we have had the occasional dinner. And, of course, took the above photo. Now I know.