Great Coastal Railway Journeys
Great Coastal Railway Journeys is a TV show on SBS ONE. The program has been available since 2024. A total of 20 episodes have been broadcast, most recently in December 2024.
Last episode
29:01
29:01Great Coastal Railway Journeys
Michael Portillo's rail exploration of the eastern reaches of England is drawing to a close. He began on Canvey Island in Essex and will finish at the bay between Norfolk and Lincolnshire, known as The Wash. His travels today begin on the smallest public railway in the world, th...
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28:51The oldest and largest mammoth ever found in Britain was discovered by walkers on the beach at West Runton in Norfolk. Michael Portillo examines a replica of the smallest bone in the creature’s leg, an enormous shin bone and imagines its size, twice that of a modern elephant.
29:02Michael 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. Searching for the wrecks of these unfortunate vessels is a passion for some and yields a treasure trove of information for historians.
29:01Michael 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.
29:02Michael Portillo embarks on a new railway journey around the coast of the east of England. He begins in the Thames estuary, where creeks separate Canvey Island from the mainland.
29:00Michael Portillo's railway adventure zig-zagging the coasts of the English Channel and the Thames estuary nears its end on the north Kent coast. The pretty and historic town of Faversham is Michael's first stop and an opportunity to get out on to the water in the last sailing barge to work on the Thames.
29:01Michael Portillo's railway exploration of the Channel coastline and Thames estuary via Calais has reached the Isle of Thanet. Michael visits the largest greenhouse complex in Britain, Thanet Earth, where he finds tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are being grown on an industrial scale.
29:02Michael Portillo's railway adventure along the north and south coasts of the English Channel resumes in Dover, where Michael recalls the biggest evacuation in military history. He hears from a military historian how, in 1940, over 300,000 soldiers were rescued from German attack on the beaches of Dunkirk.
29:02Michael Portillo travels through the longest undersea tunnel in the world on the Eurotunnel shuttle rail service from Folkestone to Calais. Riding up front in the cab, he enjoys fantastic views of the tunnel snaking ahead and emerging into the bright light of northern France.
29:01Michael 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. At Cuckmere Haven, he enjoys astonishing views of the gleaming white Seven Sisters and meets residents of the 200-year-old former coastguard cottages, which today teeter on the ...
29:01Michael Portillo takes the train to the medieval walled town of Conwy on the last leg of his exploration of the shores of North Wales. On a coastal ridge overlooking the estuary of the River Conwy is the town's impressive 13th century castle, today a magnet for English tourists.
28:56Michael Portillo resumes his railway exploration of North Wales on the Isle of Anglesey, where the briny waters of the Menai Strait are being used to create a Welsh gastronomic delight. Michael meets the team producing salt favoured by royalty and a former US President.
28:56Michael Portillo steams through the glorious scenery of the Snowdonia National Park on one of Britain's greatest heritage lines, the Welsh Highland Railway, stopping off at Beddgelert.
29:02Michael Portillo continues his railway journey in North Wales, tracking the coastline north from Harlech to skirt the Llyn Peninsula.
28:59Michael Portillo embarks on a new railway journey around the ragged rocks of the western coast of Wales. He begins on the Victorian Cliff Railway at Aberystwyth.
29:02Michael Portillo nears the end of his railway adventure tracking the rugged coast of southwest England. He finishes in the westernmost reaches of England in the Scillonian archipelago.
29:02Michael Portillo's railway adventure around the coast of southwest England reaches the pretty Cornish fishing village of St Mawes, today an exclusive holiday destination with yachts and luxury hotels.
29:02Michael Portillo continues his railway journey exploring the spectacular southwestern shores of Britain, crossing the River Tamar via Isambard Kingdom Brunel's magnificent Royal Albert Bridge.
29:02Michael Portillo's railway exploration of the rugged coastlines of Dorset, Devon and Cornwall reaches Devon's capital town, Exeter, dominated since the Middle Ages by its magnificent gothic cathedral.
29:02Michael Portillo explores the shores of Britain in a new series of Great Coastal Railway Journeys. His first journey takes him from the Jurassic Coast to the rugged tip of the Lizard Peninsula.