THE beauty of the landscape around the River Hodder will feature in a special documentary being broadcast on BBC1 tonight.

Presenter Stuart Maconie will walk from Dunsop Bridge to Great Mitton taking in various sights along the way including Stonyhurst College and the historic Inn at Whitewell.

River Walks is a one-off documentary with a different version being shown in different regions around the UK.

Although Stuart, a regular presenter of BBC Six Music, grew up in Wigan, he admits he was taken by surprise at the spectacular scenery he encountered on his walk.

“It’s not an area I know well,” he confessed, “but that was a good thing in a way as I was learning along the way just as the viewers will.”

Stuart is the ideal host for the walk - he is currently the president of Ramblers GB and when he’s not presenting or writing books can often be found out and about in the British countryside.

“It’s funny because I was very much a city kid was I was young.” he said. “The idea of putting on a pac a mac and heading off for a walk never appealed to me. It was when I was working for NME and flying all over the world to interview bands or go to gigs that I really started to enjoy just getting away from everything for an hour or two.”

In the programme, Stuart talks to fellow ramblers, learns about the history of Stonyhurst College, looks at how local farmers have diversified to make the countryside more accessible before rounding off his journey with a pint and a hearty meal at Mitton Hall.

“I thought Stonyhurst was a remarkable place,” he said. “I went to a Catholic school in Wigan - St John Rigby - so I knew of it - but but I didn’t realise quite what history is there and that people like Gerard Manley Hopkins and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle went there.”

Stuart’s walk were filmed over two days.

“It was a pretty intensive shoot,” he said. “But we didn’t want to cheat too much. The idea is that the walk is do-able in a day at a push or better still in two. It’s about eight or nine miles in total but we had to keep stopping for filming and for interviews.”

A programme featuring the delights of walking being shown in December may. at first, seem slightly illogical but Stuart disagrees.

“With my Ramblers’ hat on, I don’t want anyone to think that they can’t go walking between October and March, because they absolutely can,” he said.

“I love those short days and there’s a real pleasure in getting wrapped up and maybe getting a bit wet and cold but then coming back and getting warm again.

“Even if you have only got an hour you’ll find somewhere nearby to stretch your legs.”

River Walks is on BBC1 at 7.30pm tonight