Great British Railway Journeys

- Season 2

(2011)

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Today, Michael visits the historic Durham Cathedral, meets one of the first locomotives in Darlington and takes a Dracula tour in Whitby before ending his journey on a steam train across the North Yorkshire Moors.

This week Michael Portillo follows some of the earliest railways in the UK, from Newcastle to Melton Mowbray. First, Michael takes a Turkish bath in the famous spa town of Harrogate.

Michael finds out about shoddy: a successful 19th century recycling industry in the textile town of Batley.

Michael learns the secrets of stilton cheese, finds out how trains transformed the traditional British sport of fox hunting and attempts to make an authentic Melton Mowbray pork pie.

Michael Portillo journeys through Kent, from London Bridge around the scenic south coast to Hastings. First, he visits the Royal Observatory at Greenwich to see how the railways standardised time.

Today, Michael explores the life of Victorian hop pickers, finds out about Maidstone's revolutionary paper industry and discovers how the railways turned cricket into a national sport.

Michael finds out how Canterbury Cathedral was saved during the Baedecker raids of World War II, goes whelk fishing in Whitstable and explores the origins of a seaside swim in Margate.

Michael explores a secret port that ran the first train ferries to France carrying vital supplies during the WWI, visits Walmer castle and the home of the Duke of Wellington.

Michael discovers a hardy breed of sheep on the atmospheric Romney Marsh, explores Kent's new sparkling wine industry and finds out why the Victorians went mad for ferns in Hastings.

Michael visits the hometown of Robbie Burns and finds out how to make Haggis, discovers how the railways transformed the game of golf in Prestwick and uncovers the story of the great Victorian tartan hoax in Paisley.

Michael explores the historic Dumbarton shipyards that built the Cutty Sark, visits one of Queen Victoria's favourite haunts, Loch Lomond and goes hunting for gold in Scotland's mountains.

Michael discovers how trains spread the word about Oban whisky, hears about the heroic struggle to build a railway across the desolate Rannoch Moor and visits Corrour, one of the favourite shooting estates of the Victorian political elite.

Michael investigates one of the great geological mysteries of the 19th century, the parallel roads of Glenroy, and finds out how the Victorians put a weather observatory on the top of Ben Nevis.

Michael discovers how the railways helped train the first generation of commandos at Lochailort in the Second World War.