Great Coastal Railway Journeys | |
---|---|
Genre | Travel documentary |
Presented by | Michael Portillo |
Composer | Jon Wygens |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 3 |
No. of episodes | 65 |
Production | |
Executive producer |
|
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production company | |
Original release | |
Network | |
Release | 24 January 2022 present | –
Related | |
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Great Coastal Railway Journeys is a BBC documentary series produced by Naked West and presented by Michael Portillo, [1] a former Conservative MP and Minister of State for Transport. [2]
Following the format of Great British Railway Journeys and related series with Portillo as presenter, each episode of this series features a coastal railway journey through England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland. Series 1 was first broadcast on BBC Two in January–February 2022, series 2 in May–June 2023, and series 3 in April–May 2024. [3]
In addition to Great British Railway Journeys (15 series; 2013–2024), Portillo has presented seven other programmes with a similar format: Great Continental Railway Journeys (7 series; 2012–2020), Great American Railroad Journeys (4 series; 2016–2020), Great Indian Railway Journeys (2018), Great Alaskan Railroad Journeys and Great Canadian Railway Journeys (broadcast consecutively in January 2019), Great Australian Railway Journeys (2019), Great Asian Railway Journeys (2020).
Victorian guidebooks written by George Bradshaw under the title Bradshaw's Guide were the first comprehensive timetable and travel guides to the railway system in Great Britain, which at the time although it had grown to be extensive, still consisted of a number of fragmented and competing railway companies and lines, each publishing their own timetables.
Classified by the BBC in both the travel and history genres, the series features Portillo using the guide to plan his journeys, in the process visiting points of interest picked out in the guide and comparing its content with the modern world, both the physical and cultural ones.
Each series features Portillo travelling on a different route each week, with each daily episode being one short leg of the journey. The weekly journey is a point-to-point journey to take in a variety of locations along the route. Filmed entirely on location, the series features a mix of Portillo delivering commentary to camera, conducting ad-hoc interviews with members of the public or fellow travellers, and providing pre-arranged interviews.
All episodes were originally broadcast on consecutive weekdays on BBC Two and simulcast on BBC Two HD.
The first journey takes Portillo along the east coast of Scotland, from Dunbar to Peterhead.
No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | " Dunbar to Edinburgh [5]" | 24 January 2022 | |
Portillo alights at Dunbar station and then walks along the coastline to Siccar Point, where he meets Dr. Angus Miller who explains how, in 1788, the geologist James Hutton observed the rock strata of the Point and deduced that the earth was much older than had previously been believed. Returning to the railway, Portillo's next stop is North Berwick and, after a walk on the beach, he sails to Bass Rock to see a large colony of gannets. Next, he makes the journey to Edinburgh Waverley and walks along the Royal Mile. After climbing Arthur's Seat, he visits the Scottish Parliament Building, followed by Holyrood Palace where he discusses Mary Queen of Scots. In a newspaper interview promoting the series, Portillo said he had never done any filming quite like that on Bass Rock, and later took his family back to visit the island. [4] | |||
2 | " Leith to Culross [6]" | 25 January 2022 | |
Portillo travels along both shores of the
Firth of Forth, starting at Leith where he is given a guided tour of the former royal yacht,
HMY Britannia. He then travels west to
Bo'ness for a ride on the
Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway. At the
The Helix Park in
Grangemouth, he sees
The Kelpies, an equine sculpture, and makes a video call to
Andy Scott, the sculptor who designed it. Portillo then takes the train from
Falkirk Grahamston to
Alloa to observe bottle-making at Alloa Glassworks before travelling to Culross to visit the garden of
Culross Palace. | |||
3 | " Stirling to East Neuk [7]" | 26 January 2022 | |
4 | " St Andrews to Stonehaven [8]" | 27 January 2022 | |
5 | " Forvie to Peterhead [9]" | 28 January 2022 |
In Portillo's second journey, he travels north from Inverness to the Orkney Islands.
No. | Episode | First broadcast |
---|---|---|
6 | " Inverness to Cairngorms [10]" | 31 January 2022 |
7 | " Cullen to Cawdor [11]" | 1 February 2022 |
8 | " Invergordon to Tain [12]" | 2 February 2022 |
9 | " Lairg to Caithness [13]" | 3 February 2022 |
10 | " Thurso to Orkney [14]" | 4 February 2022 |
Portillo's third journey takes him along the coast of North East England, from Tynemouth to Berwick-upon-Tweed. [15]
No. | Episode | First broadcast |
---|---|---|
11 | " Tynemouth to Bardon Mill [16]" | 7 February 2022 |
12 | " Newcastle to Lynemouth [17]" | 8 February 2022 |
13 | " Morpeth to Amble [18]" | 9 February 2022 |
14 | " Alnmouth to Bamburgh [19]" | 10 February 2022 |
15 | " Farne Islands to Berwick-upon-Tweed [20]" | 11 February 2022 |
In his fourth journey, Portillo explores the west coast of Scotland, starting in Fairlie and finishing in Lewis and Harris.
No. | Episode | First broadcast |
---|---|---|
16 | " Fairlie to Port Glasgow [21]" | 14 February 2022 |
17 | " Helensburgh to Connel [22]" | 15 February 2022 |
18 | " Oban to Staffa [23]" | 16 February 2022 |
19 | " Fort William to Glenfinnan [24]" | 17 February 2022 |
20 | " Mallaig to Isle of Lewis and Harris [25]" | 18 February 2022 |
Portillo's fifth journey takes him along Wales' southern coastline, beginning in Avonmouth and ending in Fishguard.
No. | Episode | First broadcast |
---|---|---|
21 | " Avonmouth to Six Bells [26]" | 21 February 2022 |
22 | " Barry Island to Pyle [27]" | 22 February 2022 |
23 | " Port Talbot to Pembrey Burry Port [28]" | 23 February 2022 |
24 | " Carmarthen to Pembroke [29]" | 24 February 2022 |
25 | " Milford Haven to Fishguard [30]" | 25 February 2022 |
Portillo's sixth journey begins in the Isle of Man and then goes along the coast from Liverpool to Maryport in Cumbria.
No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | " Douglas to Port Erin [31]" | 22 May 2023 | |
Portillo starts his exploration of the Isle of Man on a tram on the
Manx Electric Railway, alighting at Douglas, where he is shown around the Legislative Buildings of the
Tynwald (the Manx parliament), by its president. Transferring to the
Isle of Man Steam Railway, he travels to
Castletown
station and participates in traditional Manx dancing at
Castle Rushen. His next stop is
Port St Mary to go
scallop fishing. The last stop is
Port Erin, where he learns about the
Manx language. | |||
2 | " Liverpool to Blackpool [32]" | 23 May 2023 | |
Portillo arrives in Liverpool on the Isle of Man Ferry and, after seeing the docks, he visits the
International Slavery Museum. Then, from
Liverpool Central, he crosses under the
Mersey to
Birkenhead Central to see the remains of a
U-Boat. Returning to Liverpool, he visits a hidden control room which was the headquarters for the North Atlantic campaign of
World War II. Next he visits
Chinatown where he sees an arch gifted by
Shanghai. He then departs from Liverpool Central for
Crosby, where he sees
Another Place, a sculpture by
Anthony Gormley, followed by an interview with the artist. Portillo's last destination is
Blackpool North to visit the
Winter Gardens. | |||
3 | " Morecambe to Grange-over-Sands [33]" | 24 May 2023 | |
Portillo alights at
Morecambe to visit the
bay, where he talks to a
shrimp
fisherman, who invites him back to his shrimp shop. Then he sees a statue of comedian
Eric Morecambe, before travelling to
Arnside to visit
Levens Hall, where he sees examples of
topiary. His last stop is
Grange-over-Sands for visits to
Cartmel Priory and the Nom de Plume restaurant. | |||
4 | " Ulverston to Ravenglass [34]" | 25 May 2023 | |
Portillo alights at
Ulverston and heads for
Lake Windermere to learn about
Arthur Ransome, the writer of
Swallows and Amazons, followed by a sail on the lake. His next stop is
Barrow-in-Furness where he walks up a
slag heap and learns how these heaps could be used to absorb
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the future. From this vantage point, he is able to see the factory where Britain's
nuclear submarines are made. The next leg of his journey takes him to
Silecroft to climb up
Black Combe, where he meets an experienced
fell runner. He then takes a ride on the 15-inch gauge
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway from
Ravenglass to
Dalegarth in the heart of the
Lake District National Park. | |||
5 | " St Bees to Maryport [35]" | 26 May 2023 | |
Portillo alights at
St Bees where he meets a lifelong fan of
Alfred Wainwright’s guidebooks, and then takes the first steps along Wainwright's "
Coast to Coast Walk". Returning to the railway, he travels to
Whitehaven to visit Wils Hambling Butchers where he learns how to make
Cumberland sausages. From
Workington station, he travels four miles inland to
Wordsworth House, where he learns about
William Wordsworth. His last stop is
Maryport to visit the banks of the
Solway Firth, where he sees fishermen using traditional
haaf nets. |
Portillo's seventh journey follows the coast from Middlesbrough, Yorkshire to Humberston Fitties in Lincolnshire.
No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
---|---|---|---|
6 | " Middlesbrough to Boulby [36]" | 29 May 2023 | |
After alighting at
Middlesbrough station, Portillo goes to see the
Tees Transporter Bridge and takes the lift to the top of the bridge. He travels on to Saltholme, a 1000 acre wetland oasis run by the
RSPB. His next stop is
Redcar
Central to visit the
racecourse and meet former jockey
Bob Champion. Back on the train, he next alights at
Saltburn for the
Boulby Underground Laboratory, 1km underground in an old
potash mine, where he learns about
particle physics and
dark matter detectors. Returning to the surface, he sees recently mined
polyhalite fertiliser being loaded onto a freight train, which he then takes a ride on. | |||
7 | " Whitby to Robin Hood's Bay [37]" | 30 May 2023 | |
Arriving at
Whitby, Portillo visits the
Captain Cook Memorial Museum and sees a replica of his ship,
HMS Endeavour. Next, he travels to
Grosmont in the
North York Moors National Park, where he attends the annual steam gala at the
station on the
North Yorkshire Moors Railway and sees
Tornado, the first mainline steam locomotive to be built since 1960, and goes inside a signal box. Then he takes a train to
Goathland where he hears how that station has often been used in film and television productions. He travels on to
RAF Fylingdales, where he visits the control room and learns about its history. His last stop is
Robin Hood's Bay, where he finds out about the historical smuggling that occurred in this locality and drinks a pint of
porter in The Bay Hotel. | |||
8 | " Scarborough to Bridlington [38]" | 31 May 2023 | |
Portillo's first stop is
Scarborough, where he visits the ruins of
Scarborough Castle and learns about the role it played in the
English Civil War, and then, at the
Rotunda Museum, he finds out about its designer,
William Smith, who also created the first
geological map of Great Britain. Down the coast at Caton Bay, he looks at exposed rock strata and fossils. His next stop is
Bempton for
Bempton Cliffs, where he sees how the police are protecting wildlife from disturbance. Returning to the railway, he travels on to
Bridlington for the Yorkshire Marine Research Centre to see how
lobsters are being observed in the laboratory and in the wild. | |||
9 | " Hornsea to Spurn Point [39]" | 1 June 2023 | |
Portillo alights at
Beverley and travels to
Hornsea Museum on the coast, where he views examples of Hornsea pottery and has a go at creating contemporary pottery. From Beverley station, he takes the train to
Hull to visit
Hull F.C., where he learns about former
Rugby League player,
Clive Sullivan and meets young players at the club's academy. Next, he takes the train to
Goole and travels 10 miles inland to
Pollington Lock to ride on a working barge. Back on the coast, at
Spurn Point, he visits the
Humber Lifeboat Station, where he learns about
life jackets and then sails on one of Britain's
largest lifeboats. | |||
10 | " Grimsby to Humberston Fitties [40]" | 2 June 2023 | |
Portillo alights at
Grimsby Town to visit the east coast hub of the Danish energy firm
Ørsted and learn about
offshore wind farms, including talking to the crew of a
wind turbine service boat. Returning to the railway, he passes
Grimsby docks on the way to his next stop,
Cleethorpes, where he visits and rides on the 15-inch gauge
Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, which takes him to
The Signal Box Inn. On the beach, he meets a man who has swum across the Humber 70 times, and then goes for swim with a group of wild swimmers. Next day, he travels south to Humberston Fitties, a group of about 320 chalets built on a former salt marsh. Returning to Grimsby, he visits the
Young's Seafood fish processing factory and finds out what
scampi is. |
Portillo's eighth journey begins at Lough Foyle in Northern Ireland and ends in Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland.
No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
---|---|---|---|
11 | " Bellarena to Giant's Causeway [41]" | 5 June 2023 | |
Portillo arrives at
Bellarena and visits the shores of
Lough Foyle to see how new technology is being used to map the area. His next stop is
Derry~Londonderry where, on the
city walls, he learns about the
city's history. Crossing into Catholic
Bogside, he sees a collection of twelve street murals, known as the people's gallery, and meets two of its artists. Returning to the railway, he changes trains at
Coleraine and then alights at Portrush for a boat trip to the place where a
Spanish galleon was shipwrecked. He travels on east to
Portballintrae where he talks to local teenagers about the activities which have helped them to appreciate the landscape, ending the day at the Giant's Causeway. | |||
12 | " Ballymena to Carrickfergus [42]" | 6 June 2023 | |
From
Ballymena Station, Portillo heads east to the coast, passing the volcanic Antrim Valley on the way, and learns of the local tradition of story telling. He then travels 30 miles south to continue his railway journey from
Larne Town. After viewing
Larne Lough from the train, he alights at
Whitehead to visit the Whitehead Railway Museum and then participates in a rowing race. Taking the train to
Carrickfergus, he visits
Carrickfergus Castle and then interviews the Chief Executive of the Grand
Orange Lodge of Ireland, before seeing a re-enactment of a visit by
William of Orange. | |||
13 | " Bangor to Belfast [43]" | 7 June 2023 | |
Portillo's first stop is
Bangor and on the marina, he hears how the city has been transformed by its recent festivals. He then travels to
Sydenham, passing
Belfast Lough on the way, to visit
Stormont, the Irish parliament building; there, he meets politics professor
Paul Bew, who received a peerage for his contribution to the
Good Friday Agreement, and sees the room where it was signed, before meeting speaker of the parliament,
Alex Maskey. Returning to the railway, he next alights at
Lanyon Place to visit the
Titanic Quarter, where he sees a large film studio. To cross
Strangford Lough, he takes the ferry from
Strangford to
Portaferry, where he visits the
Queen's University Marine Research Laboratory on the waterfront to hear about the potential of
Tidal Power. | |||
14 | " Carlingford to Dublin [44]" | 8 June 2023 | |
Setting off from
Newry, Portillo crosses the border into both the
Republic of Ireland and the
EU. Alighting at
Dundalk, he travels 15 miles along the banks of
Carlingford Lough to see an oyster farm. Returning to the railway, he travels to
Drogheda to visit the 5000-year-old
Boyne Valley Tombs. Continuing south to
Connolly station, he visits
Dublin Castle and meets
Éamon Ó Cuív, a
Fianna Fáil politician and grandson of
Éamon de Valera, the party's founder, who served as
Irish President between 1959 and 1973. Portillo travels on to see the regeneration of the docks area on the
River Liffey, before taking the
Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) to
Silicon Docks to visit
Dogpatch Labs, a startup and innovation hub. | |||
15 | " Dun Laoghaire to Rosslare [45]" | 9 June 2023 | |
Portillo alights at Dun Laoghaire and learns about the
Geological Survey of Ireland before sailing on one of their seabed survey vessels, observing a
sonar device. On the DART, he travels to
Sandycove and Glasthule station to see the area which inspired
James Joyce whilst he was writing
Ulysses: Portillo sees Joyce Tower, a former
Martello tower now converted into a museum, and visits
Sweny's Pharmacy, featured in the novel. Returning to the main line, he alights at
Wexford station and proceeds to Ireland's only inland port,
New Ross, to see a replica of the
Dunbrody, the
original ship which transported emigrants to
North America during the
great famine. After seeing a visitor centre dedicated to the
Kennedy family, he catches a train from
Wexford to
Rosslare, where he visits the docks and hears how the port has changed following
Brexit. |
Portillo's ninth journey is along England's south coast, beginning in Weymouth and ending in Seaford.
No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
---|---|---|---|
16 | " Weymouth to Lulworth [46]" | 12 June 2023 | |
Portillo's first stop is
Weymouth and from the station he heads for the beach, and then visits the
Isle of Portland. He goes on to
Portland Harbour and, at the
Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, he discovers why Weymouth is ideal for
sailing. After visiting
Chesil Beach, he sees the
swannery near
Abbotsbury. Rejoining the train at Weymouth, his next destination is
Dorchester where he visits the
Shire Hall to inspect the cells of the Old Court House where the
Tolpuddle Martyrs were held and hear how their actions led to the legalisation of
Trade Unions. His next stop is
Wool to see
Worbarrow Bay, before going inland to visit the abandoned village of
Tyneham. He moves on to the top of
Lulworth Ranges and learns that it is not only a crucial military facility, but also an important home to wildlife. | |||
17 | " Kimmeridge to Brownsea Island [47]" | 13 June 2023 | |
Alighting at
Wareham, Portillo heads for
Kimmeridge Bay to visit an oil production site. At
Swanage he takes a walk around the seafront, before going to the
station where he takes the train on the
Swanage Railway to
Corfe Castle. After looking around the station, he then takes the train back to Wareham. Now, back on the main line, he travels to
Poole and goes to see the
harbour. Next he visits the manufacturing head quarters of the global cosmetics firm,
Lush to see how
seaweed is being used in both cosmetic and bathing products. Then he makes his way to
Sandbanks, where he meets former football manager,
Harry Redknapp. At the end of the peninsula, he watches the
chain ferry depart for
Studland, before taking the boat to
Brownsea Island. On the island he visits
Brownsea Castle and learns about
Mary Bonham-Christie, who bought the island in 1927. He finishes this leg of his journey by going into the woods to observe
red squirrels. | |||
18 | " Southampton to Isle of Wight [49]" | 14 June 2023 | |
Portillo arrives at Southampton Central and goes to see a surviving part of the medieval walls. At the National Oceanography Centre, he sees unmanned automatic submarines and visits the microplastics laboratory. Next, he takes the Red Funnel ferry to East Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, and makes his way to Ryde where he walks to the end of the pier. He then takes the train from Ryde Pier Head to Ryde St John's Road to visit the Ryde Traincare Depot, where he sees refurbished London Underground trains which are used on the island services. Next, he goes to Havenstreet Station to ride on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, alighting at Wootton to visit the Isle of Wight Garlic Farm. In the far west of the island, close to The Needles, at the High Down Rocket Test Site, he learns about the British Cold War rocket programme, and, in the underground mission control, sees a model of Prospero, Britain's first satellite. Potillo had spent summer holidays on the Isle of Wight as a child, and in an interview for The Times, recalled with enthusiasm journeys on the Isle of Wight Railway between Ryde and Ventnor. [48] | |||
19 | " Lee-on-the-Solent to Bosham [50]" | 15 June 2023 | |
Portillo alights at
Fareham for
Lee-on-the-Solent to visit the
H M Coastguard Training Centre, where he participates in a rescue exercise. Back on the main line, his next stop is
Portsmouth Harbour, where he sees
HMS Victory before meeting the
Queen's Harbour Master. Next he goes on board the aircraft carrier,
HMS Prince of Wales, where he sees the propulsion units and goes onto the bridge. His last stop is
Bosham to see
Holy Trinity Church, which was depicted in the
Bayeux Tapestry. Then at
Chichester Harbour he finds out how the landscape is being managed as an important bird sanctuary. | |||
20 | " Fishbourne to Seaford [51]" | 16 June 2023 | |
Portillo's next stop is
Fishbourne, to visit the remains of a
Roman Palace where he sees some elaborate
mosaics. Next he travels to
Brighton station, where he is impressed by its
Victorian architecture. On the beach, he meets actress and writer
Carol Harrison, who talks about the fighting which occurred between
mods and rockers on
Brighton beach in 1964. Portillo then visits Jump The Gun Boutique, which specialises in early 1960s menswear and selects a suit for himself. After enjoying the view from the top of the observation tower
i360, he overnights at The Twenty One
bed and breakfast. Returning to the railway, the train takes him alongside the
River Ouse to
Seaford station and from there he travels to the eastern end of the
South Downs National Park for the Rathfinny Wine Estate, where he visits the
winery and samples the
wine. |
No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "Axminster to Budleigh Salterton [52]" | 8 April 2024 | |
Portillo alights at
Axminster station and travels to
Lyme Regis, on the
Jurassic Coast, to learn about the discoveries of pioneering
palaeontologist
Mary Anning. Then he explores the 40-acre
Beer Quarry Caves, which have been active for two millennia. Returning to the railway, his next stop is
Pinhoe, on the eastern edge of
Exeter, to visit the headquarters of the
Meteorological Office, where he sees how a new super computer can create both weather forecasts and predictions about climate change, and tries his hand at presenting a television weather forecast. Next, he takes the train from
Topsham to visit
Otterton, where he sees a 1,000-year-old
water mill and discovers that flour is still ground there, and, in the neighbouring bakery, he samples a
scone made from that flour and eaten Devon-style, with cream topped with jam. | |||
2 | " Exeter to Plymouth [53]" | 9 April 2024 | |
Portillo alights at
Exeter St Davids for
Exeter Cathedral where he visits the stone mason's workshop. On the rooftop, he finds out about the ongoing restoration work. Next, he enters the network of tunnels known as the Exeter Passages, which were originally built to supply the cathedral with water. In the Cathedral Library, he sees the
Exeter Book which contains
Old English Poetry. Back on the railway, he travels along the coast and crosses the Blackford Viaduct before arriving in Plymouth. At
Plymouth University he meets
Deborah Greaves, the director of the Coastal, Ocean and Sediment Transport Laboratory, and is shown a prototype floating wind turbine. In the harbour, he sees an autonomous boat before visiting the
Tamar Bridge. | |||
3 | " Tintagel to St Austell [54]" | 10 April 2024 | |
Portillo crosses the
River Tamar into
Cornwall via
Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge. He alights at
Bodmin Parkway to explore Cornwall's Atlantic coast and to visit
Tintagel Castle, where he learns about the castle's origins. Then he travels south to the 18th-century landscaped park of
Boconnoc where he meets artist and environmental campaigner
Kurt Jackson. After travelling to
Newquay, he eats a crab sandwich before heading to
St Agnes where, on a headland above the village, he listens to the Aggie Boys Choir perform sea shanties. Next he boards a train for
St Austell to visit the
Lost Gardens of Heligan, where he is shown a Victorian kitchen garden. | |||
4 | " St Mawes to Porthcurno [55]" | 11 April 2024 | |
Portillo alights at
Falmouth Docks Station for the coastal village of St Mawes to visit the Hotel Tresanton, where he meets hotelier and interior designer,
Olga Polizzi. Then he sails in a wooden racing yacht. Continuing from Falmouth Docks on a branch line, he alights at
Penryn and travels along
The Lizard to
Coverack where he joins members of the Cornish Seaweed Company on a harvesting mission. Next he rides on the footplate of the
Helston Railway and alights at
Truthall Halt to see the granite Gover Viaduct. His final stop is
Penzance to visit the open air
Minack Theatre at Porthcurno. | |||
5 | " Isles of Scilly [56]" | 12 April 2024 | |
Portillo takes the helicopter from
Penzance Heliport to
Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. Here he visits
Tresco Abbey Gardens and learns about its founder,
Augustus Smith. Then he takes a boat to
Hugh Town on
St Mary's, the largest and most populated of the Isles of Scilly. Here Michael meets former councillor, Amanda Martin, to learn about life on the islands. On the north of the island he sees the bronze age Bant's Carn Burial Chamber and meets archaeologist Catherine Sawyer. Then they visit the nearby ruins of an ancient village. After having a go at rowing in a type of boat known as a
gig, Portillo watches a gig race. |
No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
---|---|---|---|
6 | "Cardigan Bay to Abergynolwyn [57]" | 15 April 2024 | |
Portillo starts this journey with a ride on the
Aberystwyth Cliff Railway and then, from a boat in Cardiagan Bay, observes
Bottlenose dolphins . Next he takes the train from
Aberystwyth to
Borth. On
Borth beach he sees a
petrified forest and learns about
Welsh mythology. He then continues north to
Machynlleth where, in Parliament House, he hears how
Owain Glyndŵr led a rebellion against English rule. His next stop is
Tywyn and from
Tywyn Wharf railway station he rides on the
Talyllyn Railway, the oldest
heritage railway in the world, before alighting at
Abergynolwyn. | |||
7 | " Harlech to Aberdaron [58]" | 16 April 2024 | |
8 | " Porthmadog to Anglesey [59]" | 17 April 2024 | |
9 | " The Isle of Anglesey [60]" | 18 April 2024 | |
10 | " Conwy to Colwyn Bay [61]" | 19 April 2024 | |
Portillo travels by train along the
North Wales coast, and his first stop is
Conwy, where he visits the
World Heritage Site of
Conwy Castle and talks to historian and author David Pilling about the
Conquest of Wales by Edward I, and the role of the castle in subduing the Welsh. Moving into the foothills of the
Carneddau mountains, he speaks to local sheep farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, who takes him to see the semi-feral
Carneddau ponies. Next, Portillo visits
Llandudno, and travels by
funicular railway on the
Great Orme Tramway to the top of the
Great Orme, where mining archeologist Alan Williams takes him on a tour of the extensive
Bronze Age
copper mine underneath the headland. Finally alighting at
Colwyn Bay, he discusses the regeneration of the town's sea front with project manager Benji Poulton, who tells him about the replacement of the beach and restoration of the Victorian promenade. |
No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
---|---|---|---|
11 | "Eastbourne to Rye [62]" | 22 April 2024 | |
12 | " Folkestone to Le Touquet [63]" | 23 April 2024 | |
Portillo travels from
Folkestone through the
Channel Tunnel in the cab of a
LeShuttle train. In
Calais, he notes the
English Gothic architecture of the 14th-century "
Church of Our Lady", and sees
Auguste Rodin's bronze sculpture
The Burghers of Calais, which commemorates the treaty ending the
Siege of Calais in 1346–1347 by
Edward III. In the belfry of
Calais City Hall, he hears about the emigration of British
lacemakers from
Nottinghamshire to the city in the 19th century and visits Darquer & Méry, the oldest working lace factory in Calais, and sees the machines in operation. Portillo then takes the train from
Calais-Ville to
Boulogne-sur-Mer, and at La Matelote restaurant, he cooks a traditional local fish stew, Gainée. Travelling by train from
Boulogne-Ville to
Étaples-Le Touquet, he visits the resort town of
Le Touquet, where he learns that
Ian Fleming spent several summers in the town and is said to have created the character of
James Bond there, noting the similarity of the local casino to that described in Fleming's book
Casino Royale. Portillo ends his journey in the bar of the Westminster hotel, where actor
Sean Connery signed his first contract to play Bond on screen. | |||
13 | " Dover to Margate [64]" | 24 April 2024 | |
14 | " Birchington-on-Sea to Whitstable [65]" | 25 April 2024 | |
15 | " Faversham to Chatham [66]" | 26 April 2024 |
No. | Episode | First broadcast |
---|---|---|
16 | "Canvey Island to Wrabness [67]" | 29 April 2024 |
17 | " Woodbridge to Southwold [68]" | 30 April 2024 |
18 | " Lowestoft to Great Yarmouth [69]" | 1 May 2024 |
19 | " West Runton to Burnham Market [70]" | 2 May 2024 |
20 | " Wells-next-the-Sea to The Wash [71]" | 3 May 2024 |