The Land that Made Us with Alice Roberts

In this fascinating and beautifully shot series, Professor Alice Roberts travels the length and breadth of Britain studying the landscape, learning how it shaped local communities and regional sense of self. The series combines geology, archaeology, history and local colour and showcases the British landscape at its glorious best.

In Cornwall, Alice soon realises that the mining of both tin and china clay from the granite that provides the county’s spine continues to influence Cornish identity to this day. In North Wales, she sees how slate found in the imposing mountains led to great wealth for some and hardship for others - mirroring a long-held struggle against occupation. In Fife, Alice attempts to understand the role played by the local landscape in the county being referred to as ‘The Kingdom’. In the Peak District, she learns how geological factors combined to make Sheffield the ‘City of Steel’. In the rolling hills of the Cotswolds, wool, wealth and very tasty cheese combined to create a unique identity. In East Yorkshire, Alice experiences first-hand the devastating impact of a landscape that’s both eroding and regularly floods despite the best efforts of engineers and farmers.