Professor Sally Bushell, Professor Simon Bainbridge, PhD student Frank Pearson, Emeritus Professor Keith Stringer and Chancellor’s Ambassador Sir Chris Bonington will all contribute to the ten-part series, The Matter of the North, which starts on Monday, 29 August.

Presenter Melvyn Bragg will delve into stories spanning the end of Roman rule to the present day.

The episode on 2 September at 9am, entitled ‘Lakes and Moors: The Power of Northern Landscapes’, will hear Head of English and Creative Writing Professor Bushell interviewed inside Dove Cottage and in the garden, talking about the power of landscape for Wordsworth as a child and as a poet.

Professor Simon Bainbridge was interviewed walking the hills and talking about Coleridge’s mountaineering exploits with Frank Pearson, a PhD student in British Romanticism, who also happens to be a professional climber and potholer.

Former Chancellor and mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington is also interviewed in this episode.

Professor Simon Bainbridge said: “When you follow in Coleridge’s footsteps you really appreciate the trail-blazing and risk-taking nature of his engagement with the mountains of the Lake District.”

On 31 August Emeritus Professor Stringer from the History Department will take part in the episode which tells the story of two sets of Vikings who left a permanent mark on the North of England.

Professor Sally Bushell said: “It was a great honour and privilege to be interviewed by Melvyn for this programme. He has been such an important figure in communicating the cultural and literary significance of the North of England as well as being one of my personal heroes.”