Catch up TV
Great Coastal Railway Journeys
Great Coastal Railway Journeys Episodes
Series 3: 20. Wells-next-the-sea To The Wash
Michael Portillo’s rail exploration of the eastern reaches of England is drawing to a close. His travels today begin on the smallest public railway in the world, the Wells ...
13-08-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 19. West Runton To Burnham Market
The 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 i ...
08-08-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 18. Lowestoft To Great Yarmouth
Michael 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. Michael ...
07-08-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 17. Woodbridge To Southwold
Michael 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 ...
07-08-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 16. Canvey Island To Wrabness
Michael 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 ...
02-08-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 15. Faversham To Chatham
Michael 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 to ...
01-08-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 14. Birchington-on-sea To Whitstable
Michael Portillo’s railway exploration of the Channel coastline and Thames estuary via Calais has reached the Isle of Thanet. Flat and temperate, it is excellent terrain f ...
29-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 13. Dover To Margate
Michael Portillo’s railway adventure along the north and south coasts of the English Channel resumes in Dover, where he recalls the biggest evacuation in military history. ...
25-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 11. Eastbourne To Rye
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.\n\nAt Cuckmere Haven, he enjoy ...
24-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 12. Folkestone To Le Touquet
Michael Portillo travels through the longest undersea tunnel in the world on the Eurotunnel shuttle rail service from Folkestone to Calais.\n\nIn Calais, Michael is reminded tha ...
24-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 10. Conwy To Colwyn Bay
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.\n\nOn a coastal ridge overlooking the estu ...
22-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 9. The Isle Of Anglesey
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 ...
18-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 8. Porthmadog To Anglesey
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 a ...
17-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 7. Harlech To Abedaron
Michael Portillo continues his railway journey in north Wales, tracking the coastline north from Harlech to skirt the Llyn Peninsula. \n\nBeginning on the shifting sands of Morf ...
14-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 5. Isles Of Scilly
Michael Portillo nears the end of his railway adventure tracking the rugged coast of south west England. He finishes in the westernmost reaches of England, in the Scillonian arc ...
10-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 6. Cardigan Bay To Abergynolwyn
Michael Portillo embarks on a railway journey around the ragged rocks of the western coast of Wales. He begins on the Victorian Cliff Railway at Aberystwyth, rising above the hi ...
10-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 4. St Mawes To Porthcurno
Michael reaches the pretty Cornish fishing village of St Mawes, today an exclusive holiday destination for connoisseurs of yachts, fine food and luxury hotels. Michael takes to ...
08-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 3. Tintagel To St Austell
Crossing the River Tamar via Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s magnificent Royal Albert Bridge, Michael leaves Devon for Cornwall and the rugged Atlantic coast of its northern sho ...
05-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 2. Exeter To Plymouth
Michael Portillo reaches Devon’s county town, Exeter, dominated since the Middle Ages by its magnificent gothic cathedral. Michael joins the stonemasons charged with conse ...
03-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 3: 1. Axminster To Budleigh Salterton
Michael Portillo embarks on another journey exploring the shores of Britain. His first journey takes him from the magnificent Jurassic Coast to the rugged tip of the Lizard Peni ...
02-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 25. Milford Haven To Fishguard
On the final leg of his rail journey along Wales's southern coastline, Michael Portillo reaches the country's most westerly station. At Milford Haven, Michael learns from the ha ...
07-06-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 24. Carmarthen To Pembroke
Michael Portillo travels the breathtaking rural coastline of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire in south Wales.\n\nFrom Carmarthen Bay, he tracks up the estuary and River Towy to ...
06-06-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 23. Port Talbot To Pembrey Burry Port
Michael Portillo’s rail adventure along the south coast of Wales reaches the town of Port Talbot, known across the world for its steel production. He marvels as tons of mo ...
05-06-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 22. Barry Island To Pyle
Michael Portillo continues his south Wales coastal railway journey in Barry Island, where he investigates 'what’s occurring' at the busy docks. The waters upstream of the ...
04-06-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 21. Avonmouth To Six Bells
Michael Portillo crosses the Severn Estuary to begin a new railway journey along the south coast of Wales. Eschewing the train through the 19th-century Severn Tunnel, he joins m ...
03-06-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 20. Mallaig To Isle Of Lewis And Harris
Michael reaches the terminus of the West Highland Line at Mallaig, from which he follows in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie over the sea to Skye. The island is renowned f ...
31-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 19. Fort William To Glenfinnan
A ride to remember caps this leg of Michael Portillo’s railway adventure up the west coast of Scotland. Aboard the Jacobite Express, he crosses the awe-inspiring Glenfinna ...
30-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 18. Oban To Staffa
From the fishing port and ferry terminal of Oban, Michael heads to the Hebridean archipelago. En route to the Isle of Mull, he watches eagerly for sea mammals in a stretch of wa ...
29-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 17. Helensburgh To Connel
From the 250-year-old 'new town' of Helensburgh on the north bank of the Clyde, Michael Portillo takes his favourite West Highland Line across epic landscapes to Garelochhead an ...
28-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 16. Fairlie To Port Glasgow
Michael Portillo explores the magnificent western coast of Scotland by rail and ferry, from the Firth of Clyde to the Outer Hebridean island of Lewis and Harris. Travelling aboa ...
27-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 15. Farne Islands To Berwick-upon-tweed
Michael’s journey along the coast of Northumberland continues towards the Farne Islands, takes in the holy island of Lindisfarne, and finishes in England’s northernm ...
24-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 14. Alnmouth To Bamburgh
Michael Portillo travels the length of the magnificent Northumbrian coastline with its glorious beaches and grandiose castles.\n\nIn the village of Alnmouth, he takes to the wav ...
23-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 13. Morpeth To Amble
Michael Portillo explores the wild and rugged coastline of Northumberland by rail. He begins today in Morpeth, where he finds a historic collection of Northumbrian bagpipes and ...
22-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 12. Newcastle To Lynemouth
Michael Portillo continues his rail journey exploring England’s north east coast. Heading north from Newcastle, Michael discovers one of the city’s trendiest hotspot ...
21-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 11. Tynemouth To Bardon Mill
The stunning coastline of Northumberland is the setting for Michael Portillo’s rail adventure from the city of Newcastle to England’s northernmost town, Berwick-upon ...
20-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 10. Thurso To Orkney
From Britain’s northernmost station at Thurso in Caithness, Michael Portillo heads for the ferry port of Scrabster to cross the Pentland Firth to the Orkney Islands. Passi ...
17-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 9. Lairg To Caithness
Michael Portillo's coastal railway journey takes him past lochs and castles on the Far North Line to Britain’s northernmost railway station at Thurso. From Lairg on the ba ...
16-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 8. Invergordon To Tain
Michael Portillo’s Scottish coastal railway journey reaches Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth, the third great inlet on the northeast coast of the Highlands. He arrives on ...
15-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 7. Cullen To Cawdor
Beginning today on the Moray Firth, Michael admires the impressive Cullen viaduct before enjoying a bowl of Cullen skink at a family-run fishmonger of 150 years’ standing. ...
14-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 6. Inverness To The Cairngorms
Michael Portillo crosses the Culloden Viaduct aboard the Caledonian Sleeper to arrive bright and early in the coastal city of Inverness, from where he heads north on a magnifice ...
13-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 5. Forvie To Peterhead
Michael Portillo’s Scottish railway journey reaches Aberdeen. From the Granite City, Michael heads straight out to a dramatic piece of coastline 18 miles to its north. For ...
10-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 4. St Andrews To Stonehaven
Michael Portillo reaches Leuchars, known today on the railways as Leuchars for St Andrews. Scotland’s oldest university, St Andrews is located on a beautiful beachfront. M ...
09-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 3. Stirling To East Neuk
Michael Portillo begins this leg of his Scottish railway journey in the beautiful medieval city of Stirling. Michael learns it was a strategic city, situated where the Lowlands ...
08-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 2. Leith To Culross
Michael Portillo continues his 300-mile Scottish coastal journey along the Firth of Forth at the railway engineering icon for which it is famous throughout the world – the ...
07-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 1: 1. Dunbar To Edinburgh
An epic stretch of Scottish coastline is the first stop for Michael Portillo as he begins a series of coastal railway journeys around the British Isles.\n\nSiccar Point, close t ...
07-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 2: 20. Fishbourne To Seaford
The final leg of Michael's journey begins in Fishbourne, the location of one of the most significant Roman sites in Britain. Heading into East Sussex, he makes for a British res ...
08-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 19. Lee-on-the-solent To Bosham
Michael’s journey has brought him to Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire, the coastguard's training centre. He finds out about their role in search and rescue and helps in one ...
30-10-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 18. Southampton To Isle Of Wight
Michael is in Southampton, one of the busiest ports on the south coast of England and home to the National Oceanography Centre. From the port, Michael takes a ferry to the Isle ...
25-10-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 17. Kimmeridge To Brownsea Island
Michael alights at Wareham to visit Dorset’s internationally renowned Jurassic Coast. Exploring the geology, he discovers black gold locked into its rocks and visits one o ...
18-10-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 16. Weymouth To Lulworth
Michael is on a rail journey across the southern coast of England, beginning in Dorset. In Portland Harbour, Michael takes to the water with four-time Paralympian Hannah Stodel. ...
11-10-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 15. Dun Laoghaire To Rosslare
Michael Portillo begins the final leg of his railway journey, beginning in the harbour town of Dun Laoghaire. He joins a crew of geological surveyors to discover what lies benea ...
04-10-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 14. Carlingford To Dublin
Michael Portillo continues his railway journey along the Atlantic and Irish Sea coasts of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.\n\nFrom Newry, he sets off to cross the b ...
27-09-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 13. Bangor To Belfast
Michael Portillo is in Bangor, County Down, en route to the Northern Irish capital, Belfast. Admiring the handsome waterfront houses, he recalls the resort’s prosperity af ...
20-09-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 12. Ballymena To Carrickfergus
Michael Portillo is in the glens of Antrim, where Ireland’s folklore and magical myths flourish and he is transfixed by tales of fairies and legends of the sea. \n\nAt th ...
13-09-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 11. Ballarena To Giant's Causeway
Michael Portillo is on Northern Ireland’s spectacular Causeway Coast to begin a railway journey that takes him along the north and east coasts of Ireland through the provi ...
06-09-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 10. Grimsby To Humberston Fitties
Michael Portillo has reached Lincolnshire, where his coastal railway journey from Middlesbrough ends. In Grimsby, he investigates an important new stage in the town’s hist ...
30-08-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 8. Scarborough To Bridlington
Michael Portillo is in the seaside resort of Scarborough to explore one of the greatest royal fortresses in England, before heading to the beautiful neoclassical Rotunda Museum, ...
04-08-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 9. Hornsea To Spurn Point
Michael Portillo continues his journey in the pretty seaside resort of Hornsea, famous for its distinctive pottery. In Hull, he discovers how one of Hull FC’s star players ...
02-08-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 7. Whitby To Robin Hood's Bay
Michael Portillo continues his railway adventure at Whitby, where he explores the port’s shipbuilding and seafaring heritage.\n\nIn Grosmont, Michael boards the first stea ...
27-07-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 6. Middlesbrough To Boulby
Michael Portillo’s coastal railway adventure propels him in search of the unknown universe in Boulby, North Yorkshire. Over a kilometre below the surface of the earth, in ...
18-07-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 5. St Bees To Maryport
On the last leg of his railway journey around the north west coast of England, Michael meets a lifelong fan of Alfred Wainwright’s famous guidebooks and takes the first st ...
10-07-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 4. Ulverston To Ravenglass
Michael Portillo is in Cumbria, enjoying one of the most spectacular coastal railway journeys in Britain.\n\nIn Ulverston, he sets sail in a small craft with a lifelong devotee ...
05-07-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 3. Morecambe To Grange-over-sands
Michael Portillo continues his rail journey. He looks out across the vast and beautiful Morecambe Bay and joins one of the town’s last shrimpers to learn how potted shrimp ...
26-06-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 2. Liverpool To Blackpool
From the Isle of Man, Michael Portillo crosses the Irish Sea, bound for the mighty port of Liverpool and its historic waterfront. \n\nAt the International Slavery Museum in Roya ...
22-06-2023
BBC 2
Series 2: 1. Douglas To Port Erin
Michael Portillo embarks on another railway adventure across and beyond the United Kingdom, beginning on the self-governing Isle of Man – a paradise for rail lovers.\n\nHe ...
15-06-2023
BBC 2