Land of the borders

This tape comprises of two parts; the Battlegrounds, and Eastern Borders, as Melvyn Bragg explores the wild and empty landscapes sprinkled with castles, fortresses and abbeys that provide the backdrop to Europe’s turbulent history. In the Battleground section, Bragg traces the forces and events that shaped the lives of those from the Western Borders. He visits Hadrian’s Wall, Carlisle Castle, Lanercost Priory, Caerlaverock Castle, Burgh by Sands, the Lochmabonstane truce site, Hermitage Castle, plus many other key locations. In the Eastern Borders section Bragg considers the influence of religion and the sea. Beginning with the founding of the monastery on Holy Island, the sea meanwhile provided people with a living as well as a source of disaster and heroism. Places visited include The Holy Island, Norham Castle, Melrose Abbey, the River Tweed, the Yetholm Show, battleground and memorial at Flodden, Alnwick Castle, plus many other sites from the region.