The Pennines: Backbone of Britain
Duration: 4 x 60'
Play Trailer Play Screener Contact SalesThis delightful series explores the magnificent Pennine range meeting the people who call its mountains, fells, hills and valleys home.
Stretching from Derbyshire to within touching distance of the Scottish Borders, the Pennine range is as beautifully varied as it is long.
From the guardians of some of our most treasured places, to the farmers striving to overcome the toughest of conditions, to the adventurous who see the formidable escarpments and mighty rivers as a challenge to be met head on, every episode inspires the mind and warms the heart.
Episode 1: The Peak District - The Land of Rock
The series begins where the land rises steeply in the south to form the Peak District National Park.
As a group of climbers ascend a 100-foot gritstone route, fishermen below prepare the trout they breed on Ladybower Reservoir for release into the River Derwent. Villagers in Foolow get to work on their annual Well Dressing, and in Castleton, miners head into the caves to in search of the ultra-rare gem Blue John.
Episode 2: The South Pennines - The Industrial Hills
Episode two visits the moors of Yorkshire and Greater Manchester to investigate how this place was at the heart of the industrial revolution… and how that great upheaval left its mark that still survives today.
A group of friends go on a canal trip through the iconic Standedge Tunnel while Haworth’s brass band prepare for the annual performance at Malham Show. Dry stone wallers help repair the farm in the middle of the motorway before exploring old local folk songs at a Yorkshire pub.
Episode 3: The Yorkshire Dales - The Agricultural Hills
Moving ever northwards to the hills of the Yorkshire Dales where, in the market town of Skipton, a 21-year-old livestock auctioneer prepares for the biggest sheep sale of his young career so far. In Settle, the community hydro-electric scheme needs a major renovation while a farmer makes the most of life on their goat farm. This episode also reveals how safety guides patrol the footpaths to help those finding the challenge too much.
Episode 4: The North Pennines - The Wilder Reaches
A family of shepherds looking after two farms in some of Britain’s wildest countryside, are preparing for a new arrival. On Hadrian’s Wall, treasures are uncovered by archaeologists at the Roman fort Vindolanda and a sheepdog trial competitor and her canine companion aim high! Kayakers also brave the rapids of the River Tees.
For Channel 4
