Cumbria

The Lakes with Simon Reeve episode 3: Simon Reeve comes to the end of his travels through the Lake District and Cumbria. Simon explores the wild and rugged coast of Cumbria and learns how central the county is to many of the challenges facing Britain. The Lake District National Park includes a beautiful stretch of Cumbria’s coast, where rare natterjack toads inhabit a spectacular sand dune landscape. But this rugged wilderness sits in the shadows of Sellafield, the most hazardous industrial site in western Europe, which is home to hundreds of aging and disused nuclear facilities – including the largest

The Lakes with Simon Reeve episode 2: Simon looks at the impact of humans on England’s biggest and most popular national park. He goes wild swimming in the crystal clear lake of Buttermere, before taking a look at the less fortunate Derwent Water, one of the many lakes now clogged with the invasive New Zealand pygmyweed. He also visits England’s highest peak, Scafell Pike, where he discovers that the sheer footfall of so many yearly visitors is damaging the mountain and stretching rescue volunteers thin.     Outside the Lakes, Simon talks to experts who are trying to understand flooding

The Lakes with Simon Reeve episode 1: Simon Reeve travels through the glorious Lake District and breathtaking Cumbria, revealing the secrets of this iconic part of Britain.  With its magnificent mountains, glacial valleys and 16 iconic lakes and meres, the Lake District is one of the great natural wonders of our country.     But huge changes are sweeping through this ancient landscape. In this episode, Simon meets some of the Cumbrian characters with different visions for the future of England’s biggest national park, including a campaign group trying to protect the remaining red squirrel populations, a traditional farmer who