Episode 1
Paddock Wood to Frant
29m
Michael Portillo takes to the rails to explore one of Britain’s oldest surviving landscapes, the woods and pasture of the Weald in south east England.
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TV series
Great British Railway Journeys
201016 seasons7.4 / 10
Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.
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Where to watch in United States
Checked Jul 22, 2026
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Synopsis
Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.
Season 16 episodes
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 2
Hildenborough to Robertsbridge
28m
Michael Portillo’s rail exploration of the historic wooded region of south east England, known as the Weald, continues from Tonbridge, at the heart of the area's rail network.
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Episode 3
Dorking to Lingfield
28m
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.
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Episode 4
Gatwick Airport to Royal Tunbridge Wells
28m
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.
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Episode 5
Chichester to Amberley
29m
Michael Portillo’s railway tour of the green and pleasant landscape between the North and South Downs, known as the Weald, nears its conclusion.
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Episode 6
Windermere to Sellafield
29m
Michael Portillo begins a railway tour of the spectacular border counties of Cumbria and Dumfriesshire, starting in the stunning Lake District National Park.
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Episode 7
St Bees to Grange-over-Sands
28m
Michael Portillo’s railway tour continues as he travels along the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line. He visits an iron ore mine turned into an arts centre and discovers the cradle of Quakerism.
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Episode 8
Maryport to Penrith
29m
Michael Portillo’s railway journey through Cumbria and Dumfriesshire heads to the hills as he follows in the footsteps of the Lakeland poets.
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Episode 9
Aspatria to Carlisle
29m
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 organic dairy farming.
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Episode 10
Dumfries to Auchinleck
29m
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 greatest poet, Robert Burns.
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Episode 11
Shrewsbury to Telford
28m
Michael Portillo re-enacts the Battle of Shrewsbury and explores the town's beautiful gothic cathedral, while also riding the Telford Steam Railway’s flagship locomotive.
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Episode 12
Ironbridge to Coseley
28m
Michael Portillo is in Ironbridge Gorge on the River Severn, a hotbed of 18th-century innovation which features the world's first coke blast iron furnace.
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Episode 13
Dudley to West Bromwich
29m
Michael Portillo boards a barge on the Dudley Canal, discovers an ancient seabed and explores racial tension in 1960s Smethwick.
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Episode 14
Birmingham New Street to Wednesbury
29m
Arriving in Birmingham, Michael Portillo heads to Curzon Street for a tour of the HS2 terminus still under construction. In the Newtown area, he visits the oldest private manufacturing firm in the UK.
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Episode 15
Solihull to Birmingham International
28m
On the final leg of his Midlands tour, Michael Portillo travels to Solihull, the home of iconic British brand Land Rover. Later, he visits the childhood neighbourhood of JRR Tolkien.
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Episode 16
Loughton to Audley End
29m
Michael Portillo embarks on a journey across Essex. He heads to the ancient woodland of Epping Forest and learns of Audley End House's role as a secret wartime military school.
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Episode 17
Romford to the Blackwater Estuary
29m
Michael’s exploration of Essex continues in Romford, where he visits a state-of-the-art rail operating centre. On the River Blackwater, he visits the Ross Revenge, home of Radio Caroline.
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Episode 18
Chelmsford to Tollesbury
29m
Michael’s exploration of Essex reaches Chelmsford, where the city's bishop relates her story of escape from Iran after the Islamic revolution of 1979.
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Episode 19
Witham to Saffron Walden
29m
Arriving in the Essex market town of Witham, Michael heads into the countryside to visit one of the county’s great country houses, Terling Place.
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Episode 20
Colchester to Chappel and Wakes Colne
28mfinale
Michael's exploration of Essex is drawing to a close. He visits Colchester, which was first mentioned in AD77 and proudly claims to be Britain’s oldest recorded town.
Where to watch Great British Railway JourneysEpisode information updated Jul 24, 2026
More about Great British Railway Journeys
Cast
Michael PortilloSelf - PresenterProduction details
- Status
- Returning Series
- Series type
- Documentary
- Episodes
- 290
- Original language
- English
Networks & production
BBC TwoUnited Kingdom
Talkback ThamesUnited Kingdom
Fremantle UKUnited Kingdom
Themes
railroad
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