Virtual Portsmouth - BFI Player

The British Film Institute (BFI) has a huge archive of film footage spanning decades and covering all corners of the British Isles. That means there's also video to enjoy of bygone Portsmouth.

There's hours of footage making up its Britain on Film project, which you can watch totally free of charge. Some of the footage from Portsmouth includes views from Portsdown Hill back in 1962, the Naval Review of 1914, Southsea in the late 1940s, and loads more besides.

If you know Portsmouth well, it's a fascinating archive to travel back through the ages. You can also help shape the archive in future, as the BFI welcomes contributions from the public. Put your time to good use by sharing your valuable insights into local areas, events or stories behind certain footage.

You'll definitely want to allow a good bit of time for this - as it's easy to get lost down a rabbit hole of videos!

Take a look at the resource on the BFI Player Britain on Film site, where you can search or browse by location - not just in Portsmouth but across the whole country.