A BRAND new Channel 5 TV series exploring the Lake District and Cumbria’s coast was broadcast this week, showcasing the county and the many people who live, work and play here.

Cumbria: The Lakes and The Coast is narrated by Downton Abbey actor Jim Carter and captures a 'rich slice of life' in one of the UK’s most popular holiday destinations.

The first of five episodes was broadcast on Wednesday, July 17, at 8pm, and featured locals from across the county.

Imogen and one of the fell ponies from Rakefoot Farm.Imogen and one of the fell ponies from Rakefoot Farm. (Image: Air TV)
From north to south Cumbria, the show focused in this week's episode on towns and villages including Ulverston, Rockcliffe, Keswick and Lamplugh.

The show started out by visiting the Castletown Farm in Rockcliffe near Carlisle, where estate manager Ruari Martin showed how the farmers on the Solway Firth farm on the salt marshes.

In a post on social media following the show, Castletown Estate said: "Ruari and the team did a fantastic job of showing the joys and dangers of farming the marsh and how stunning our landscape is.

“We really enjoyed the programme and seeing the other Cumbrians and their local produce and pastimes in this incredible part of the world.”

Andy and Zoe Arnold-Bennett featured on the show as owners of She One Distillery in Ulverston. The documentary followed the couple to Westmorland Show as they showcased their gins, with the pair even getting a seal of approval from TV chef James Tebbutt.

The show follows life in CumbriaThe show follows life in Cumbria (Image: Air TV)
South Lakes women going wild swimming were captured as they visited Ullswater, and the show headed to Rakefoot Farm in Borrowdale to look at the many fell ponies who spend their lives there.

The show also followed classic car enthusiast Chris Spencer from Lamplugh who was born in the parish and has built up a classic car collection throughout his life, as he visited the Cumbria Classic and Motorsports show in Dalemain near Ullswater.

Speaking about his love of home on the show, Chris said: “Every time I drive out of the end of our lane and you just take in the scenery when you get to the higher ground and you look to the fells you have got to just pinch yourself, you couldn’t ask for anywhere nicer to live.”