Great British Railway Journeys

  

Snapshots

Great British Railway JourneysTaunton to Newton Abbot: Michael Portillo travels between Taunton and Newton Abbot, joining in with a fertility dance in Stogumber, and visiting a celebrated garden at Hestercombe. [S]Wed, Jan 1, 2:25 amU&Yesterday35 mins
Great British Railway JourneysTaunton to Newton Abbot: Michael Portillo travels between Taunton and Newton Abbot, joining in with a fertility dance in Stogumber, and visiting a celebrated garden at Hestercombe. [S]Tue, Dec 31, 7:35 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysNewport to Clevedon: Michael Portillo arrives in Newport, where he learns about the heroism of a young boy who was awarded the Albert Medal. [S]Tue, Dec 31, 7:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysPontyclun to Ebbw Vale Town: Michael Portillo travels from Pontyclun to Ebbw Vale in Wales, visiting the Royal Mint in Llantrisant and Cardiff Arms Park. [S]Tue, Dec 31, 6:35 amU&Yesterday35 mins
Great British Railway JourneysWhitland to Swansea: Michael Portillo embarks on the first leg of a journey from the coalfields of South Wales to the southernmost tip of Cornwall. [S]Tue, Dec 31, 6:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysCroydon to Shoreham-by-Sea: Michael Portillo travels from Croydon to Shoreham-by-Sea, hearing the story of a once-celebrated composer and visiting the oldest licensed airport in the UK. [S]Tue, Dec 31, 1:30 amU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysLetchworth Garden City to Herne Hill: Michael Portillo explores Edwardian utopia in Letchworth, where he meets a fourth generation citizen who introduces him to the town's community spirit. [S]Tue, Dec 31, 1:00 amU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysKielder Forest to Edinburgh: Michael Portillo is in Northumbria, discovering what lay behind a national initiative to plant one of the largest manmade woodlands in Europe. [S]Thu, Dec 12, 7:35 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysNewcastle to County Durham: Beginning in Jarrow, Michael uncovers the desperation which led 200 men to march 300miles to Westminster in order to petition the Government for work. [S]Thu, Dec 12, 7:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysEast Malling to Rye: Michael Portillo travels from Warwick to Rye in East Sussex. En route he discovers how the Edwardians' attitude towards cultivation bears fruit even now. [S]Thu, Dec 12, 6:35 amU&Yesterday35 mins
Great British Railway JourneysPiccadilly Circus to Gravesend: Michael Portillo journeys from Piccadilly Circus to Gravesend, visiting an exotic West End store that was popular among Victorian women. [S]Thu, Dec 12, 6:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysEaling Broadway to South Kensington: Michael Portillo reaches the capital on his rail journey. In Ealing, he is transformed for the silver screen by expert hair and make-up. [S]Thu, Dec 12, 2:25 amU&Yesterday35 mins
Great British Railway JourneysReading to Taplow: Michael Portillo picks up his journey from Warwick to Rye. In Reading, he traces the origins of education for workers. In Cliveden he explores an Italianate mansion. [S]Thu, Dec 12, 2:00 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysWarwick to Radley: Michael Portillo sets off on the first leg of a journey from the Midlands to Rye in East Sussex, beginning by travelling from Warwick to Radley in Oxfordshire. [S]Thu, Dec 12, 1:30 amU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysHillhead to Connel Ferry: Michael Portillo visits the University of Glasgow's Officer Training Corps, then heads to Helensburgh, finding a group of artists known as the Glasgow Boys. [S]Thu, Dec 12, 1:00 amU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysEaling Broadway to South Kensington: Michael Portillo reaches the capital on his rail journey. In Ealing, he is transformed for the silver screen by expert hair and make-up. [S]Wed, Dec 11, 7:35 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysReading to Taplow: Michael Portillo picks up his journey from Warwick to Rye. In Reading, he traces the origins of education for workers. In Cliveden he explores an Italianate mansion. [S]Wed, Dec 11, 7:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysWarwick to Radley: Michael Portillo sets off on the first leg of a journey from the Midlands to Rye in East Sussex, beginning by travelling from Warwick to Radley in Oxfordshire. [S]Wed, Dec 11, 6:35 amU&Yesterday35 mins
Great British Railway JourneysHillhead to Connel Ferry: Michael Portillo visits the University of Glasgow's Officer Training Corps, then heads to Helensburgh, finding a group of artists known as the Glasgow Boys. [S]Wed, Dec 11, 6:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysGlasgow to Cumbrae: Michael Portillo journeys from Glasgow to Cumbrae, learning about a forgotten Scottish expedition to the Antarctic. [S]Wed, Dec 11, 2:25 amU&Yesterday35 mins
Great British Railway JourneysLarne to Dumfries: Michael Portillo journeys from Northern Ireland across the water to Scotland. Leaving from the seaport of Larne, he reaches Stranraer and the Mull of Galloway. [S]Wed, Dec 11, 2:00 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysBelfast to Portrush: On a journey from Belfast to Portrush, Michael Portillo investigates the work of author and Narnia creator CS Lewis, and visits the Royal Portrush Golf Club. [S]Wed, Dec 11, 1:30 amU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysNewry to Portadown: Michael Portillo sets off on the first leg of a journey across Northern Ireland to Argyll and Bute, beginning by travelling from Newry to Portadown. [S]Wed, Dec 11, 1:00 amU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysGlasgow to Cumbrae: Michael Portillo journeys from Glasgow to Cumbrae, learning about a forgotten Scottish expedition to the Antarctic. [S]Tue, Dec 10, 7:35 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysLarne to Dumfries: Michael Portillo journeys from Northern Ireland across the water to Scotland. Leaving from the seaport of Larne, he reaches Stranraer and the Mull of Galloway. [S]Tue, Dec 10, 7:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysBelfast to Portrush: On a journey from Belfast to Portrush, Michael Portillo investigates the work of author and Narnia creator CS Lewis, and visits the Royal Portrush Golf Club. [S]Tue, Dec 10, 6:35 amU&Yesterday35 mins
Great British Railway JourneysNewry to Portadown: Michael Portillo sets off on the first leg of a journey across Northern Ireland to Argyll and Bute, beginning by travelling from Newry to Portadown. [S]Tue, Dec 10, 6:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysBirmingham to the Potteries: Armed with his Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo reaches Birmingham and learns how a radical reformer would make his mark on the 'city of a thousand trades'. [S]Tue, Dec 10, 2:25 amU&Yesterday35 mins
Great British Railway JourneysManchester to Elsecar: Michael Portillo visits Heaton Park in Manchester, where one of the first open air concerts was held in 1909, before travelling on to the town of Oldham. [S]Tue, Dec 10, 2:00 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysBlackburn to Manchester: Michael Portillo catches a glimpse of Edwardian life on celluloid and marvels at how factory workers and schoolchildren alike were drawn to seek fame on film. [S]Tue, Dec 10, 1:30 amU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysWarrington to Preston: Michael Portillo sets off on a trip through Britain's industrial heartlands in the footsteps of George V, beginning by travelling from Warrington to Preston. [S]Tue, Dec 10, 1:00 amU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysBirmingham to the Potteries: Armed with his Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo reaches Birmingham and learns how a radical reformer would make his mark on the 'city of a thousand trades'. [S]Mon, Dec 9, 7:35 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysManchester to Elsecar: Michael Portillo visits Heaton Park in Manchester, where one of the first open air concerts was held in 1909, before travelling on to the town of Oldham. [S]Mon, Dec 9, 7:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysBlackburn to Manchester: Michael Portillo catches a glimpse of Edwardian life on celluloid and marvels at how factory workers and schoolchildren alike were drawn to seek fame on film. [S]Mon, Dec 9, 6:35 amU&Yesterday35 mins
Great British Railway JourneysWarrington to Preston: Michael Portillo sets off on a trip through Britain's industrial heartlands in the footsteps of George V, beginning by travelling from Warrington to Preston. [S]Mon, Dec 9, 6:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysYatton to Weston-super-Mare: Travels by train. Ex-MP Michael Portillo samples local Cheddar strawberries, explores Cheddar Gorge and visits an extremely old pier in Weston-super-Mare. [S]Mon, Aug 12, 2:35 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysSwindon to Bristol: Train travels with the ex-Tory. Michael Portillo journeys from Swindon to Penzance, sampling spa treatments in Bath and trying glassblowing in Bristol on the way. [S]Mon, Aug 12, 2:10 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysRhyl to Anglesey: Michael Portillo's 1930s Bradshaw's-inspired railway tour of north Wales takes him to Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Anglesey. [S]Sun, Aug 11, 2:30 pmU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysCrewe to Shotton: Michael Portillo visits Crewe, a town steeped in railway history, to investigate the making of cinema classic The Night Mail during the 1930s. [S]Sun, Aug 11, 2:00 pmU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysNewmarket to Walsingham: Michael Portillo is in Suffolk on the last leg of his tour of East Anglia, visiting the racecourse at Newmarket and the Roman Catholic shrine at Walsingham. [S]Sun, Aug 11, 1:30 pmU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysSawbridgeworth to Cambridge: Michael Portillo heads for the Hertfordshire village of Perry Green to learn about Henry Moore became one of the defining artists of British modernism. [S]Sun, Aug 11, 1:00 pmU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysPotters Bar to Cardington: Michael Portillo's travels resume in leafy Hertfordshire, where he attempts a canoe slalom course, and visits the estate of author Barbara Cartland. [S]Sun, Aug 11, 12:30 pmU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysColchester to Chadwell Heath: Michael Portillo continues through East Anglia, where he discovers the Essex origins of the BBC and joins the Women's Land Army to pick damsons at Tiptree. [S]Sun, Aug 11, 12:00 pmU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysEdinburgh to Kirkcaldy: Michael Portillo continues his epic journey from Preston to Scotland, visiting the Clyde valley orchards, the Forth Rail Bridge and the town of Kirkcaldy. [S]Mon, Aug 5, 2:30 amU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysCarlisle to Glasgow: Michael Portillo hits the rails. Here the ex-MP meets wild clansmen in Carlisle, witnesses a wedding in Gretna Green and visits a secret WWI munitions factory. [S]Mon, Aug 5, 2:05 amU&Yesterday25 mins
Great British Railway JourneysSaxmundham to Dedham: Michael Portillo explores East Anglia between the wars, beginning at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, where archaeologists discovered a 27-metre-long Anglo-Saxon ship in 1939. [S]Sun, Aug 4, 2:30 pmU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysFarnborough to Winchester: Michael Portillo heads for Farnborough, Hampshire, famous today for its airshow and home to what was then the Royal Aircraft Establishment. [S]Sun, Aug 4, 2:00 pmU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysGuildford to Aldershot: Michael Portillo resumes his tour of the Home Counties in the historic town of Guildford. Eventually he crosses into Hampshire to reach Aldershot. [S]Sun, Aug 4, 1:30 pmU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysWest Ruislip to Windsor: Michael Portillo travels to leafy Hatch End in north-west London, where he meets the great-nephew of the famous illustrator William Heath Robinson. [S]Sun, Aug 4, 1:00 pmU&Yesterday30 mins
Great British Railway JourneysStoke Mandeville to Beaconsfield: Michael Portillo continues his travels through England's Home Counties at Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire, before making his way to Beaconsfield. [S]Sun, Aug 4, 12:30 pmU&Yesterday30 mins