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Lakes and Moors: The Power of Northern Landscapes

Episode 5 of 10

Melvyn Bragg considers the power and influence of northern landscapes, inspiration for some of England's greatest literature.

Northern landscapes take centre stage in Episode Five as Melvyn Bragg celebrates the fells, lakes and moors that he loves. He meets mountaineer Chris Bonington in North Cumbria and goes on to see how, over the last 200 years the North has provided inspiration for great writers, some of the greatest in the language - Wordsworth, Coleridge, the BrontΓ«s - and painters, Ruskin and Turner. The landscape inspired Coleridge, and he came up with the word mountaineering and he's believed to be the first man to climb every peak in the Lake District. Melvyn visits the home of William and Dorothy Wordsworth at Dove Cottage in the Lake District. The area around Coniston water was home to John Ruskin. The poet Ted Hughes, lived in Mytholmroyd in West Yorkshire...and Melvyn says that it's impossible to think northern moorland without bringing to mind the way the BrontΓ«s have inscribed themselves on the landscape.

Contributors
Professor Simon Bainbridge, Lancaster University
Professor Sally Bushell, Lancaster University
Chris Bonington
Howard Hull, Brantwood, Ruskin's House
Julian Cooper
Simon Armitage
Syima Aslam, Bradford Literature Festival
Irna Qureshi, Bradford Literature Festival

Producer: Faith Lawrence.

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Tue 7 Aug 2018 01:30

Artist Julian Cooper and Melvyn Bragg

Artist Julian Cooper and Melvyn Bragg

Brantwood, Coniston Water

Melvyn Bragg and Professor Sally Bushell of Lancaster University

Melvyn Bragg and Professor Sally Bushell of Lancaster University

Dove Cottage, Grasmere, Cumbria

Melvyn Bragg and Chris Bonington

Melvyn Bragg and Chris Bonington

North Cumbria near Caldbeck

Simon Armitage and Melvyn Bragg

Simon Armitage and Melvyn Bragg

Marsden, West Yorkshire

Broadcasts

  • Fri 2 Sep 2016 09:00
  • Fri 2 Sep 2016 23:00
  • Mon 6 Aug 2018 06:30
  • Mon 6 Aug 2018 13:30
  • Mon 6 Aug 2018 20:30
  • Tue 7 Aug 2018 01:30

A guide to northern English accents

Take a tour of the North and hear tips for learning the major accents.

Northern words quiz

What do these regional dialect words mean?

Quiz: Where's Melvyn?

How many of these northern landmarks do you know?

Quiz: How well do you know the North?

How much do you know about the region and its history?

Podcast