Great British Railway Journeys Catch up, Series 10: 15. East Malling to Rye on BBC 2

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 10: 15. East Malling to Rye

Steered by his Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo is on the last leg of his journey from Warwick to Rye in East Sussex. In the orchards of East Malling, Kent, Michael discovers that the Edwardians’ serious attitude towards cultivation bore fruit. Rootstock developed at the NIAB Centre for Fruit Research, established in 1913, is today responsible for much of world apple production.\n\nIn Folkestone, Michael hears how the town coped with an influx of more than 100,000 refugees from Belgium fleeing the German invasion in 1914.\n\nIn the High Weald, Michael heads for Tenterden Town and the light railway which opened in 1900. The Kent and East Sussex heritage line has been restored by an army of volunteers. Michael lends a hand in the restoration shed and is rewarded with a wonderful trip aboard Edwardian carriages powered by a locomotive nicknamed “Terrier” to Bodiam.\n\nMichael’s last stop is the splendid medieval Cinque Port of Rye, where he tucks into a local speciality, scallops, and tours the beautiful home and garden of one of his favourite authors - the illustrious American Henry James.

Source: BBC 2

Most recent episodes of Great British Railway Journeys

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 12. Ironbridge To Coseley

Michael Portillo is in Ironbridge Gorge on the River Severn, where he discovers the Silicon Valley of the 18th century. Exploring this hotbed of industrial innovation, he takes ...

22-04-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 11. Shrewsbury To Telford

Sharp as an arrow and armed with a longbow, Michael Portillo re-enacts the Battle of Shrewsbury, fought at the Shropshire village of Battlefield in 1403. He hears how the rebel ...

21-04-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 10. Dumfries To Auchinleck

Michael concludes his journey from Cumbria to Dumfriesshire by crossing the Solway Firth into Scotland, where he visits the beautifully preserved last home of Scotland’s g ...

18-04-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 9. Aspatria To Carlisle

Michael Portillo’s railway journey through Cumbria and Dumfriesshire takes him to the rolling countryside around Aspatria to meet a couple who swapped their old life for o ...

17-04-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 8. Maryport To Penrith

Michael Portillo’s railway journey through Cumbria and Dumfriesshire heads to the hills as he follows in the footsteps of the Lakeland poets. In Keswick, he retraces the a ...

16-04-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 7. St Bees To Grange-over-sands

Michael Portillo’s railway tour of Cumbria and Dumfriesshire continues as he travels along the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line. Just outside Egremont, he visits Florence Mine, ...

15-04-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 6. Windermere To Sellafield

Michael Portillo begins a railway tour of the spectacular border counties of Cumbria and Dumfriesshire, starting in the stunning Lake District National Park, where he discovers ...

14-04-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 5. Chichester To Amberley

Michael Portillo’s railway tour of the green and pleasant landscape between the North and South Downs, known as the Weald, nears its conclusion.\n\nNear Chichester, Michae ...

11-04-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 4. Gatwick Airport To Royal Tunbridge Wells

Michael Portillo’s rail exploration of the spectacular countryside of the Weald in Surrey, Sussex and Kent continues - this time, aboard the Gatwick Express train, which c ...

10-04-2025

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 3. Dorking To Lingfield

Michael Portillo’s railway tour of the Weald reaches the spectacular Surrey countryside, where he finds a surprising connection to the darker reaches of the universe.\n\nI ...

09-04-2025

BBC 2

All episodes