The Rebellious Tongues of the North
Melvyn Bragg looks at the turbulent years of rebellion which swept across the north of England, and the idea of 'northern' speech.
Episode Four is the story of rebellion and dissent in the north - and the way northern dialect is beginning to be marginalised and even mocked. Melvyn Bragg begins at Clifford's Tower in York, site of a Norman fortress built to keep the north under control. It was also the site centuries later, where Robert Aske - one of the leaders of The Pilgrimage of Grace (a great Catholic Rebellion) was executed. It's in York that St Margaret Clitherow was tortured to death. Melvyn goes to Riveaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire and finds evidence that the monks were on the brink of producing high quality cast iron and even blast furnaces. If the Reformation hadn't happened could the Industrial Revolution have begun here hundreds of years earlier? Melvyn examines how the south is coming to view the north - and its dialect. There is an idea that northern kinds of English are less prestigious. An idea that persists. Melvyn discusses this with Joan Bakewell. The poet Simon Armitage celebrates the speech patterns of the medieval poetic masterpiece 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' and Melvyn meets Dame Judi Dench who remembers her time performing the York Mystery Plays.
Contributors
Jonnie Robinson, British Library
Joan Bakewell
Simon Armitage
Judi Dench
Toby Gordon
Natalie McCaul, Yorkshire Museum
Dr Sarah Bastow, University of Huddersfield
Susan Harrison, English Heritage
Prof Andy Wood, Durham University
Producer: Faith Lawrence.
Last on
Clip
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Joan Bakewell: Why I dropped my northern accent
Duration: 00:52
Melvyn Bragg and Natalie McCaul, Curator of Archaeology, Yorkshire Museum
![Melvyn Bragg and Natalie McCaul, Curator of Archaeology, Yorkshire Museum](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160x90/p045qwtc.jpg)
Yorkshire Museum, York
Boar Badge worn by King Richard III’s supporters – part of Yorkshire Museum’s collection
![Boar Badge worn by King Richard III’s supporters – part of Yorkshire Museum’s collection](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160x90/p045qwxp.jpg)
Yorkshire Museum, York
Melvyn Bragg and relic of St Margaret Clitherow
![Melvyn Bragg and relic of St Margaret Clitherow](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160x90/p045qx2v.jpg)
The Bar Convent, York
Melvyn Bragg and Dr Sarah Bastow
![Melvyn Bragg and Dr Sarah Bastow](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160x90/p045qx5h.jpg)
The Bar Convent, York
Melvyn Bragg and Toby Gordon who played Lucifer in the 2016 York Mystery Plays
![Melvyn Bragg and Toby Gordon who played Lucifer in the 2016 York Mystery Plays](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160x90/p045qx8f.jpg)
York Minster
Melvyn Bragg and Susan Harrison, Collections Curator at English Heritage
![Melvyn Bragg and Susan Harrison, Collections Curator at English Heritage](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160x90/p045qxc5.jpg)
Rievaulx Abbey, Yorkshire
Professor Andy Wood with Melvyn Bragg
![Professor Andy Wood with Melvyn Bragg](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160x90/p045qxn8.jpg)
Durham
Melvyn Bragg and Simon Armitage
![Melvyn Bragg and Simon Armitage](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160x90/p045qxkf.jpg)
Marsden, Yorkshire
Broadcasts
- Thu 1 Sep 2016 09:00³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4
- Thu 1 Sep 2016 21:30³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4 FM
- Fri 3 Aug 2018 06:30³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4 Extra
- Fri 3 Aug 2018 13:30³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4 Extra
- Fri 3 Aug 2018 20:30³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 4 Aug 2018 01:30³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4 Extra
A guide to northern English accents
Take a tour of the North and hear tips for learning the major accents.
Northern words quiz
What do these regional dialect words mean?
Quiz: Where's Melvyn?
How many of these northern landmarks do you know?
Quiz: How well do you know the North?
How much do you know about the region and its history?
Podcast
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The Matter of the North
Melvyn Bragg explores the pivotal role of England's north in the shaping of modern Britain