A YOUNG literary talent has landed his dream job at a major historical site in the Lake District thanks to his studies at the University of Cumbria.

Leo Finighan, 26, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, recently accepted the position of curator at Rydal Mount between Windermere and Grasmere, an estate famous for being the home and inspiration for many of Wordsworth's most seminal works.

Leo said: "This is a very special place and where Wordsworth produced his incredibly influential Illustrated Guide to the Lakes, prefaced with the River Duddon Sonnets. In his time here, he saw his beloved Lake District become a tourist destination, but that is another story.

"It’s a treasure trove. I’ve discovered many first editions, letters, notes and memorabilia, slipped between pages from two centuries ago.

"My main focus going forward is for as many people as possible could enjoy this place. Wordsworth was an incredibly exciting historical figure, a revolutionary and a radical."

Leo credits his ability to beat off the stiff competition for the role to his lecturer at Cumbria during his MA in Literature, Romanticism and the English Lake District, Associate Professor Penny Bradshaw, who called Leo's appointment "a great source of pride."