Great British Railway Journeys

Series 15

Documentary series in which Michael Portillo travels the country by train.

Where to Watch Series 15

15 Episodes

  • Denham to Swindon
    E1
    Denham to SwindonBeginning at London Marylebone, the last great Victorian railway terminus to be built in the capital, Michael Portillo embarks on a postwar exploration of Britain’s southern counties.
  • Chippenham to Yeovil
    E2
    Chippenham to YeovilMichael Portillo joins Navy Wings pilots for a spectacular close formation flight in the skies over Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton and visits the magnificent Elizabethan mansion of Longleat.
  • Swanage to Portchester
    E3
    Swanage to PortchesterMichael Portillo reaches England’s south coast to continue his exploration of postwar Britain, beginning on the steam-powered Swanage Railway in Dorset.
  • Havant to Guildford
    E4
    Havant to GuildfordMichael Portillo reaches Havant, where the Scalextric factory was located, and Haslemere, the surprise birthplace of a musical phenomenon: the plastic recorder.
  • Wokingham to Heathrow
    E5
    Wokingham to HeathrowMichael goes on a tour around Heathrow Airport, taking an eerie walk around the mothballed Terminal 1 building and ending up atop the iconic 87.5 metre control tower.
  • Loch Lomond to Kelvinbridge
    E6
    Loch Lomond to KelvinbridgeMichael Portillo boards the West Highland Line to begin a railway journey across Scotland’s central belt, from the Arrochar Alps to the Loch of the Lowes.
  • Glasgow to Cumbernauld
    E7
    Glasgow to CumbernauldAt the home of Scottish football, Glasgow’s Hampden Park stadium, Michael admires the oldest football trophy in the world and hears how the 'passing game' was born there.
  • Shawlands to Livingston
    E8
    Shawlands to LivingstonMichael Portillo continues his postwar Scottish railway adventure, this time from Glasgow to the capital, Edinburgh.
  • Edinburgh to Queensferry
    E9
    Edinburgh to QueensferryAt the former Midlothian mining village of Newtongrange, Michael meets the son of a miner whose name loomed large in the disputes of the 1970s and 1980s, 'Red' Mick McGahey.
  • Dundee to Loch of the Lowes
    E10
    Dundee to Loch of the LowesMichael’s rail journey through post-war Scotland takes him over the River Tay to Dundee on the trail of Joseph McKenzie, the father of modern Scottish photography.
  • Liverpool to Uttoxeter
    E11
    Liverpool to UttoxeterMichael Portillo twists and shouts through postwar Liverpool, visiting the strikingly contemporary Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and visits the former home of artist and poet Adrian Henri.
  • Derby to Nottingham
    E12
    Derby to NottinghamMichael Portillo reaches the jet age in the Derby suburb of Peartree, where he tours the engineering colossus Rolls-Royce.
  • Lincoln to York
    E13
    Lincoln to YorkMichael Portillo’s postwar journey from Merseyside to Teesside resumes at Brayford Pool in Lincoln, where England’s oldest canal, the Fossdyke, meets the city of Lincoln.
  • York to Skipton
    E14
    York to SkiptonMichael Portillo’s journey finds him in York, a paradise for rail enthusiasts. He discovers the gardens at Harlow Carr in Harrogate and checks into the headquarters of Yorkshire Tea.
  • Northallerton to Chester-Le-Street
    E15
    Northallerton to Chester-Le-StreetMichael Portillo confronts a detachment of Gurkhas, produces a fine heritage cheese and discovers a monster cracker, which is key to making plastic.

Cast of Series 15

  • Michael PortilloSelf - Presenter

 

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