Great Coastal Railway Journeys

Last episode
29:01
Great Coastal Railway Journeys

Michael 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 s...

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Season 3
29:02
Michael 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.
29:02
Michael 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.
29:01
Michael 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 ...
29:01
Michael 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.
28:56
Michael 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.
Michael 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.
Michael Portillo continues his railway journey in North Wales, tracking the coastline north from Harlech to skirt the Llyn Peninsula.
Michael 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.
Michael 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.
Michael 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.
Michael 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.
Michael 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.
Michael 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.
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