For nearly two hundred years, the north led the way in developing new technologies and industries that would completely re-shape societies, economies and the world order.

Presented by northern writer Daniel Gray, Powerhouse; Industrial Revolution in the North tells the story of the birth of the industrial revolution and examines the stories of people who lived and worked during this epic age, examining how the revolution changed society, the landscape and the political and economic fabric of the north and beyond.

The series begins by looking at the origins of the early industrial revolution in the 1700s, examining how and why pockets of industry began to develop in the north of England and how it spread to change the landscape and society around it. In episode one we will hear the personal stories of ordinary northern people at the heart of those tumultuous times, as new technologies emerged and rural workers descended on the growing industrial cities and towns to work in factories.