Great British Railway Journeys Season 2 Episodes

Episode 1

Brighton to Crystal Palace

Episode 2

Waterloo to Canary Wharf

Episode 3

Enfield to Cambridge

Episode 4

Ely to King's Lynn

Episode 5

Dereham to Cromer

Episode 6

Ledbury to Shrewsbury

Episode 7

Telford to Wrexham

Episode 8

Chester to Conwy

Episode 9

Llanwrst to Porthmadog

Episode 10

Llanberis to Holyhead

Episode 11

Newcastle to Chester-le-Street

Episode 12

Durham to Grosmont

Today, Michael visits the historic Durham Cathedral, meets one of the first locomotives in Darlington and takes a Dracula tour in Whitby before ending his journey on a steam train across the North Yorkshire Moors.

Episode 13

York to Saltaire

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. He travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains, as his journey follows some of the earliest railways in the country from Newcastle to Melton Mowbray. Michael takes a Turkish bath in the famous spa town of Harrogate, explores the exemplary Victorian village of Saltaire, and rubs noses with some friendly alpacas, whose fleeces made fortunes in Bradshaw's day.

Episode 14

Batley to Sheffield

Michael finds out about shoddy: a successful 19th century recycling industry in the textile town of Batley.

Episode 15

Langley Mill to Melton Mowbray

Michael learns the secrets of stilton cheese, finds out how trains transformed the traditional British sport of fox hunting and attempts to make an authentic Melton Mowbray pork pie.

Episode 16

London Bridge to Chatham

Michael Portillo journeys through Kent, from London Bridge around the scenic south coast to Hastings. First, he visits the Royal Observatory at Greenwich to see how the railways standardised time.

Episode 17

Aylesford to Tunbridge Wells

Today, Michael explores the life of Victorian hop pickers, finds out about Maidstone's revolutionary paper industry and discovers how the railways turned cricket into a national sport.

Episode 18

Canterbury to Margate

Michael finds out how Canterbury Cathedral was saved during the Baedecker raids of World War II, goes whelk fishing in Whitstable and explores the origins of a seaside swim in Margate.

Episode 19

Sandwich to Folkestone

Michael explores a secret port that ran the first train ferries to France carrying vital supplies during the WWI, visits Walmer castle and the home of the Duke of Wellington.

Episode 20

Hythe to Hastings

Michael discovers a hardy breed of sheep on the atmospheric Romney Marsh, explores Kent's new sparkling wine industry and finds out why the Victorians went mad for ferns in Hastings.

Episode 21

Ayr to Paisley

Michael visits the hometown of Robbie Burns and finds out how to make Haggis, discovers how the railways transformed the game of golf in Prestwick and uncovers the story of the great Victorian tartan hoax in Paisley.

Episode 22

Dumbarton to Tyndrum

Michael explores the historic Dumbarton shipyards that built the Cutty Sark, visits one of Queen Victoria's favourite haunts, Loch Lomond and goes hunting for gold in Scotland's mountains.

Episode 23

Oban to Corrour

Michael discovers how trains spread the word about Oban whisky, hears about the heroic struggle to build a railway across the desolate Rannoch Moor and visits Corrour, one of the favourite shooting estates of the Victorian political elite.

Episode 24

Roybridge to Glenfinnan

Michael investigates one of the great geological mysteries of the 19th century, the parallel roads of Glenroy, and finds out how the Victorians put a weather observatory on the top of Ben Nevis.

Episode 25

Lochailort to Skye

Michael discovers how the railways helped train the first generation of commandos at Lochailort in the Second World War.