Great Coastal Railway Journeys

Great Coastal Railway Journeys

2022
Great Coastal Railway Journeys
Great Coastal Railway Journeys

Great Coastal Railway Journeys

8 | en | Documentary

From the sea lochs of Scotland to the Jurassic Coast of Dorset, seasoned train traveller Michael Portillo immerses himself in the magnificent scenery of the nation's coastal regions.

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Seasons & Episodes

3
2
1
EP20  Wells-next-the-Sea to the Wash
May. 03,2024
Wells-next-the-Sea to the Wash

Michael Portillo’s rail exploration of the eastern reaches of England is drawing to a close at the Wash. He travels on the smallest public railway in the world and visits the magnificent Holkham Hall.

EP19  West Runton to Burnham Market
May. 02,2024
West Runton to Burnham Market

Michael examines a replica of the smallest bone in the oldest and largest mammoth ever found in Britain, before sampling Sheringham's local crab and enjoying the North Norfolk Railway heritage line.

EP18  Lowestoft to Great Yarmouth
May. 01,2024
Lowestoft to Great Yarmouth

Michael Portillo’s East Anglian coastal railway journey takes him to the treacherous waters off the Norfolk coast, which have sunk many ships and cost many lives.

EP17  Woodbridge to Southwold
Apr. 30,2024
Woodbridge to Southwold

Michael Portillo reaches the Deben estuary on his coastal railway journey around eastern England. At Woodbridge, he is plunged in at the deep end on a rafting challenge with the sea scouts.

EP16  Canvey Island to Wrabness
Apr. 29,2024
Canvey Island to Wrabness

Michael Portillo embarks on a new railway journey around the coast of the east of England. He begins in the Thames estuary, travelling across tidal mud flats and salt marsh to end up in Wrabness.

EP15  Faversham to Chatham
Apr. 26,2024
Faversham to Chatham

Michael's adventure nears its end on the north Kent coast. In Faversham, he gets out onto the water in the last sailing barge to work on the Thames.

EP14  Birchington-on-Sea to Whitstable
Apr. 25,2024
Birchington-on-Sea to Whitstable

Michael Portillo’s railway exploration of the Channel coastline and Thames estuary via Calais has reached the Isle of Thanet. Flat and temperate, it’s excellent terrain for growing.

EP13  Dover to Margate
Apr. 24,2024
Dover to Margate

Michael Portillo’s railway adventure along the north and south coasts of the English Channel resumes in Dover, where he recalls the biggest evacuation in military history.

EP12  Folkestone to Le Touquet
Apr. 23,2024
Folkestone to Le Touquet

Michael Portillo travels through the longest undersea tunnel in the world on the Eurotunnel shuttle rail service from Folkestone to Calais.

EP11  Eastbourne to Rye
Apr. 22,2024
Eastbourne to Rye

Michael Portillo sets off on a new railway adventure to explore the twin shores of the English Channel and the estuaries of the Thames and Medway.

EP10  Conwy to Colwyn Bay
Apr. 19,2024
Conwy to Colwyn Bay

Michael Portillo takes the train to the medieval walled town of Conwy on the last leg of his exploration of the shores of north Wales.

EP9  The Isle of Anglesey
Apr. 18,2024
The Isle of Anglesey

Michael is on the Isle of Anglesey, where the briny waters of the Menai Strait are being used to create a Welsh gastronomic delight.

EP8  Porthmadog to Anglesey
Apr. 17,2024
Porthmadog to Anglesey

Michael Portillo steams through the glorious scenery of the Snowdonia National Park on one of Britain’s greatest heritage lines, the Welsh Highland Railway.

EP7  Harlech to Abedaron
Apr. 16,2024
Harlech to Abedaron

Michael Portillo continues his railway journey in north Wales, tracking the coastline north from Harlech to skirt the Llyn Peninsula.

EP6  Cardigan Bay to Abergynolwyn
Apr. 15,2024
Cardigan Bay to Abergynolwyn

Michael Portillo embarks on a railway journey around the western coast of Wales. He begins on the Victorian Cliff Railway at Aberystwyth, finishing the first leg in Tywyn.

EP5  Isles of Scilly
Apr. 12,2024
Isles of Scilly

Michael Portillo nears the end of his railway adventure tracking the rugged coast of south west England. He finishes in the westernmost reaches of England, in the Scillonian archipelago.

EP4  St Mawes to Porthcurno
Apr. 11,2024
St Mawes to Porthcurno

Michael reaches the pretty Cornish fishing village of St Mawes, today an exclusive holiday destination for connoisseurs of yachts, fine food and luxury hotels.

EP3  Tintagel to St Austell
Apr. 10,2024
Tintagel to St Austell

Michael leaves Devon for Cornwall and the rugged Atlantic coast of its northern shore, where the ruins of Tintagel Castle emerge from the mist and spray of the sea.

EP2  Exeter to Plymouth
Apr. 09,2024
Exeter to Plymouth

Michael Portillo reaches Devon’s county town, Exeter, dominated since the Middle Ages by its magnificent gothic cathedral. He joins stonemasons charged with conserving its intricate Beer stonework.

EP1  Axminster to Budleigh Salterton
Apr. 08,2024
Axminster to Budleigh Salterton

Michael Portillo embarks on another journey exploring the shores of Britain, travelling from the Jurassic Coast to the rugged tip of the Lizard Peninsula and beyond to the spectacular Isles of Scilly.

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8 | en | Documentary
Synopsis

From the sea lochs of Scotland to the Jurassic Coast of Dorset, seasoned train traveller Michael Portillo immerses himself in the magnificent scenery of the nation's coastal regions.

...... View More
Cast

Michael Portillo

Director

Dave Minchin

Producted By

BBC , FremantleMedia