Bagpuss film return sparks nostalgia as Devon village link revealed

Horrabridge on Dartmoor has a special place in television history, and now its link to Bagpuss, the famous saggy old cloth cat, is being remembered as a new film is announced.

The sepia photograph used in the opening credits of the original 1970s series was taken in Horrabridge.

It shows Horrabridge, looking up with the bridge on your right (near the village stores) towards Plymouth road and the image became one of the most recognisable parts of the programme.

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First broadcast in 1974, Bagpuss ran for only 13 episodes but went on to become one of Britain’s best-loved children’s shows.

The pink-and-white cat, who came to life in a shop window, was joined by Professor Yaffle the woodpecker, Madeleine the rag doll and Gabriel the Toad.

The new film will be the first Bagpuss production in more than 50 years, and producers say it will mix live action and animation, while staying true to the charm of the original.

This time, Bagpuss and his companions will “wake from their slumber” in the present day and set out on a modern adventure.

Emily Firmin, daughter of original co-creator Peter Firmin and the real-life “Emily” from the show, said: “Bagpuss was an integral part of my childhood. To me he wasn’t just a character on the screen, he was a friend who taught me about kindness, care, and imagination.”

The film is being developed by Birmingham-based Threewise Entertainment with support from the estates of Bagpuss’s creators, and the release is planned for 2027.

For Horrabridge, it is a reminder that a small Dartmoor village played a part in creating “the most important, the most beautiful, the most magical saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world.”