| Great Coastal Railway Journeys | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Travel documentary |
| Presented by | Michael Portillo |
| Composer | Jon Wygens |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer |
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| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company |
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| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | 24 January 2022 – present |
| Related | |
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Great Coastal Railway Journeys is a BBC documentary series produced by Naked and presented by Michael Portillo, a former Conservative MP and Minister of State for Transport.[1]
Following the format of Great British Railway Journeys and related series with Portillo as presenter, each episode of this series features a coastal railway journey through England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland. Series 1 was aired on BBC Two in January–February 2022. Series 2 was aired on BBC Two in May–June 2023. Series 3 will consist of 20 episodes and is expected to be aired during 2024.[2]
Portillo has also presented seven other programmes with a similar format: Great Continental Railway Journeys (7 series; 2012–2020), Great American Railroad Journeys (4 series; 2016–2020), Great Indian Railway Journeys (2018), Great Alaskan Railroad Journeys and Great Canadian Railway Journeys (broadcast consecutively in January 2019), Great Australian Railway Journeys (2019), Great Asian Railway Journeys (2020).
Victorian guidebooks written by George Bradshaw under the title Bradshaw's Guide were the first comprehensive timetable and travel guides to the railway system in Great Britain, which at the time although it had grown to be extensive, still consisted of a number of fragmented and competing railway companies and lines, each publishing their own timetables.
Classified by the BBC in both the travel and history genres, the series features Portillo using the guide to plan his journeys, in the process visiting points of interest picked out in the guide and comparing its content with the modern world, both the physical and cultural ones.
Each series features Portillo travelling on a different route each week, with each daily episode being one short leg of the journey. The weekly journey is a point-to-point journey to take in a variety of locations along the route. Filmed entirely on location, the series features a mix of Portillo delivering dialogue to camera, as well as performing ad-hoc interviews with members of the public or fellow travellers, in addition to pre-arranged interviews.
All episodes were originally broadcast on consecutive weekdays on BBC Two and simulcast on BBC Two HD.
The first journey takes Portillo along the east coast of Scotland, from Dunbar to Peterhead.
| No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Dunbar to Edinburgh[3]" | 24 January 2022 | |
| Portillo alights at Dunbar station and then walks along the coastline to Siccar Point. There he meets Dr. Angus Miller who explains how, in 1788, the geologist James Hutton observed the rock strata of the Point and deduced that the earth was much older than had previously been believed. Returning to the railway, Portillo's next stop is North Berwick and, after a walk on the beach, he sails to Bass Rock to see a large colony of gannets. Next he makes the journey to Edinburgh Waverley and takes a walk on the Royal Mile. After climbing Arthur's Seat, he visits the Scottish Parliament Building, followed by Holyrood Palace where he discusses Mary Queen of Scots. | |||
| 2 | "Leith to Culross[4]" | 25 January 2022 | |
| 3 | "Stirling to East Neuk[5]" | 26 January 2022 | |
| 4 | "St Andrews to Stonehaven[6]" | 27 January 2022 | |
| 5 | "Forvie to Peterhead[7]" | 28 January 2022 | |
In Portillo's second journey, he travels north from Inverness to the Orkney Islands.
| No. | Episode | First broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | "Inverness to Cairngorms[8]" | 31 January 2022 |
| 7 | "Cullen to Cawdor[9]" | 1 February 2022 |
| 8 | "Invergordon to Tain[10]" | 2 February 2022 |
| 9 | "Lairg to Caithness[11]" | 3 February 2022 |
| 10 | "Thurso to Orkney[12]" | 4 February 2022 |
Portillo's third journey takes him along the coast of North East England, from Tynemouth to Berwick-upon-Tweed.
| No. | Episode | First broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | "Tynemouth to Bardon Mill[13]" | 7 February 2022 |
| 12 | "Newcastle to Lynemouth[14]" | 8 February 2022 |
| 13 | "Morpeth to Amble[15]" | 9 February 2022 |
| 14 | "Alnmouth to Bamburgh[16]" | 10 February 2022 |
| 15 | "Farne Islands to Berwick-upon-Tweed[17]" | 11 February 2022 |
In his fourth journey, Portillo explores the west coast of Scotland, starting in Fairlie and finishing in Lewis and Harris.
| No. | Episode | First broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | "Fairlie to Port Glasgow[18]" | 14 February 2022 |
| 17 | "Helensburgh to Connel[19]" | 15 February 2022 |
| 18 | "Oban to Staffa[20]" | 16 February 2022 |
| 19 | "Fort William to Glenfinnan[21]" | 17 February 2022 |
| 20 | "Mallaig to Isle of Lewis and Harris[22]" | 18 February 2022 |
Portillo's fifth journey takes him along Wales' southern coastline, beginning in Avonmouth and ending in Fishguard.
| No. | Episode | First broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | "Avonmouth to Six Bells[23]" | 21 February 2022 |
| 22 | "Barry Island to Pyle[24]" | 22 February 2022 |
| 23 | "Port Talbot to Pembrey Burry Port[25]" | 23 February 2022 |
| 24 | "Carmarthen to Pembroke[26]" | 24 February 2022 |
| 25 | "Milford Haven to Fishguard[27]" | 25 February 2022 |
Portillo's sixth journey begins in the Isle of Man and then goes along the coast from Liverpool to Maryport in Cumbria.
| No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Douglas to Port Erin[28]" | 22 May 2023 | |
| Portillo starts his exploration of the Isle of Man on a tram on the Manx Electric Railway, alighting at Douglas, where he is shown around the Legislative Buildings of the Tynwald (the Manx parliament), by its president. Transferring to the Isle of Man Steam Railway, he travels to Castletown station and participates in traditional Manx dancing at Castle Rushen. His next stop is Port St Mary to go scallop fishing. The last stop is Port Erin, where he learns about the Manx language. | |||
| 2 | "Liverpool to Blackpool[29]" | 23 May 2023 | |
| Portillo arrives in Liverpool on the Isle of Man Ferry and, after seeing the docks, he visits the International Slavery Museum. Then, from Liverpool Central, he crosses under the Mersey to Birkenhead Central to see the remains of a U-Boat. Returning to Liverpool, he visits a hidden control room which was the headquarters for the North Atlantic campaign of World War II. Next he visits Chinatown where he sees an arch gifted by Shanghai. He then departs from Liverpool Central for Crosby, where he sees Another Place, a sculpture by Anthony Gormley, followed by an interview with the artist. Portillo's last destination is Blackpool North to visit the Winter Gardens. | |||
| 3 | "Morecambe to Grange-over-Sands[30]" | 24 May 2023 | |
| Portillo alights at Morecambe to visit the bay, where he talks to a shrimp fisherman, who invites him back to his shrimp shop. Then he sees a statue of comedian Eric Morecambe, before travelling to Arnside to visit Levens Hall, where he sees examples of topiary. His last stop is Grange-over-Sands for visits to Cartmel Priory and the Nom de Plume restaurant. | |||
| 4 | "Ulverston to Ravenglass[31]" | 25 May 2023 | |
| Portillo alights at Ulverston and heads for Lake Windermere to learn about Arthur Ransome, the writer of Swallows and Amazons, followed by a sail on the lake. His next stop is Barrow-in-Furness where he walks up a slag heap and learns how these heaps could be used to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the future. From this vantage point, he is able to see the factory where Britain's nuclear submarines are made. The next leg of his journey takes him to Silecroft to climb up Black Combe, where he meets an experienced fell runner. He then takes a ride on the 15-inch gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway from Ravenglass to Dalegarth in the heart of the Lake District National Park. | |||
| 5 | "St Bees to Maryport[32]" | 26 May 2023 | |
| Portillo alights at St Bees where he meets a lifelong fan of Alfred Wainwright’s guidebooks, and then takes the first steps along Wainwright's "Coast to Coast Walk". Returning to the railway, he travels to Whitehaven to visit Wils Hambling Butchers where he learns how to make Cumberland sausages. From Workington station, he travels four miles inland to Wordsworth House, where he learns about William Wordsworth. His last stop is Maryport to visit the banks of the Solway Firth, where he sees fishermen using traditional haaf nets. | |||
Portillo's seventh journey follows the coast from Middlesbrough, Yorkshire to Humberston Fitties in Lincolnshire.
| No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | "Middlesbrough to Boulby[33]" | 29 May 2023 | |
| After alighting at Middlesbrough station, Portillo goes to see the Tees Transporter Bridge and takes the lift to the top of the bridge to view the surroundings. Then he travels to Saltholme, a 1000 acre wetland oasis run by the RSPB. His next stop is Redcar Central to visit the racecourse and meet former jockey Bob Champion. Back on the train, he next alights at Saltburn for the Boulby Underground Laboratory, 1km underground in an old potash mine, where he learns about particle physics and dark matter detectors. Returning to the surface, he sees recently mined polyhalite fertiliser being loaded onto a freight train, which he then takes a ride on. | |||
| 7 | "Whitby to Robin Hood's Bay[34]" | 30 May 2023 | |
| Arriving at Whitby, Portillo visits the Captain Cook Memorial Museum and sees a replica of his ship, HMS Endeavour. Next, he travels to Grosmont in the North York Moors National Park, where he attends the annual steam gala at the station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. He sees Tornado, the first mainline steam locomotive to be built since 1960, goes inside a signal box, and then takes a train to Goathland where he hears how that station has often been used in film and television productions. He then goes to RAF Fylingdales, where he visits the control room and learns about its history. His last stop is Robin Hood's Bay, where he finds out about the historical smuggling that occurred in this locality, before drinking a pint of porter in The Bay Hotel. | |||
| 8 | "Scarborough to Bridlington[35]" | 31 May 2023 | |
| Portillo's first stop is Scarborough to visit the ruins of Scarborough Castle, where he learns about the role it played in the English Civil War. At the Rotunda Museum he finds out about its designer, William Smith, who also created the first geological map of Great Britain. Then, at Caton Bay, he looks at exposed rock strata and fossils. His next stop is Bempton for Bempton Cliffs, where he sees how the police are protecting wildlife from disturbance. Returning to the railway, he then travels to Bridlington for the Yorkshire Marine Research Centre to see how lobsters are being observed in the laboratory and in the wild. | |||
| 9 | "Hornsea to Spurn Point[36]" | 1 June 2023 | |
| Portillo alights at Beverley and travels to Hornsea Museum on the coast. After viewing examples of Hornsea pottery, he has a go at creating contemporary pottery. Returning to Beverley Station, he takes the train to Hull to visit Hull F.C., where he learns about former Rugby League player, Clive Sullivan and then meets young players at the club's academy. Next he takes the train to Goole and then goes a further 10 miles inland to Pollington Lock to ride on a working barge. Back on the coast, at Spurn Point, he visits the Humber Lifeboat Station where he learns about life jackets and then sails on one of Britain's largest lifeboats. | |||
| 10 | "Grimsby to Humberston Fitties[37]" | 2 June 2023 | |
| Portillo alights at Grimsby Town to visit the east coast hub of the Danish energy firm, Ørsted and learns about offshore wind farms. While there, he talks to the crew of a wind turbine service boat. Returning to the railway, he passes Grimsby docks on the way to his next stop, Cleethorpes. He then rides on the 15 inch gauge Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway to The Signal Box Inn. On the beach he meets a man who has swum across the Humber 70 times and Portillo then goes for swim with a group of wild swimmers. On the next day, he travels south to Humberston Fitties, a group of about 320 chalets built on a former salt marsh. Returning to Grimsby, he visits the Young's Seafood fish processing factory and finds out what scampi is. | |||
Portillo's eighth journey begins at Lough Foyle in Northern Ireland and ends in Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland.
| No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | "Bellarena to Giant's Causeway[38]" | 5 June 2023 | |
| Portillo alights at Bellarena and then, on the Magilligan peninsula, visits the shores of Lough Foyle to see how new technology is being used to map the area. His next stop is Derry~Londonderry where, on the city walls, he learns about the city's history. Crossing into Catholic Bogside, he sees a collection of twelve street murals, known as the people's gallery, and meets two of its artists. Returning to the railway and after changing trains at Coleraine, he alights at Portrush for a boat trip to the place where a Spanish galleon was shipwrecked. He then travels east to Portballintrae where he talks to local teenagers about the activities which have helped them to appreciate the landscape, before ending the day at the Giant's Causeway. | |||
| 12 | "Ballymena to Carrickfergus[39]" | 6 June 2023 | |
| From Ballymena Station, Portillo heads east to the coast, passing the volcanic Antrim Valley on the way. Here he learns of the local tradition of story telling. He then travels 30 miles south to continue his railway journey from Larne Town. After viewing Larne Lough from the train, he alights at Whitehead to visit the Whitehead Railway Museum. Next he participates in a rowing race, before taking the train to Carrickfergus. In the town he visits Carrickfergus Castle and then interviews the Chief Executive of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, before seeing a re-enactment of a visit by William of Orange. | |||
| 13 | "Bangor to Belfast[40]" | 7 June 2023 | |
| Portillo's first stop is Bangor and on the marina, he hears how the city has been transformed by its recent festivals. He then travels to Sydenham, passing Belfast Lough on the way, to visit Stormont, the Irish parliament building. Here he meets politics professor Paul Bew, who received a peerage for his contribution to the Good Friday Agreement. Portillo is shown the room where the Good Friday Agreement was signed, before meeting speaker of the parliament, Alex Maskey. Returning to the railway, he next alights at Lanyon Place to visit the Titanic Quarter, where he sees a large film studio. To cross Strangford Lough, he takes the ferry from Strangford to Portaferry, where he visits the Queen's University Marine Research Laboratory on the waterfront to investigate the potential of Tidal Power. | |||
| 14 | "Carlingford to Dublin[41]" | 8 June 2023 | |
| Setting off from Newry, Portillo crosses the border into both the Republic of Ireland and the EU, before alighting at Dundalk. He then travels 15 miles along the banks of Carlingford Lough to see an oyster farm. Returning to the railway, he takes the train south to Drogheda to visit the 5000 year old Boyne Valley Tombs. Continuing south to Connolly station, he visits Dublin Castle where he meets Éamon Ó Cuív, a Fianna Fáil politician and grandson of Éamon de Valera, the party's founder, who served as Irish President between 1959 and 1973. Portillo then travels to the banks of the River Liffey, to see the regeneration of the docks area, before taking the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) to Silicon Docks to visit Dogpatch Labs, a startup and innovation hub. | |||
| 15 | "Dun Laoghaire to Rosslare[42]" | 9 June 2023 | |
| Portillo alights at Dun Laoghaire to learn about the Geological Survey of Ireland and then sails on one of their seabed survey vessels, observing a sonar device. Returning to the DART, he travels a few miles to his next stop, Sandycove and Glasthule Station, to see the area which inspired James Joyce whilst he was writing Ulysses. Portillo then sees Joyce Tower, a former Martello tower which has been converted into a museum, before visiting Sweny's Pharmacy, which was featured in the novel. Returning to the main line, his next stop is Wexford Station and from there he proceeds to Ireland's only inland port, New Ross. Here he sees a replica of the Dunbrody and learns how the original ship was used to transport emigrants to North America during the great famine. After seeing a visitor centre dedicated to the Kennedy family he returns to Wexford to catch the train to Rosslare, where he visits the docks and hears how the port has had to adapt following Brexit. | |||
Portillo's ninth journey is along England's south coast, beginning in Weymouth and ending in Seaford.
| No. | Episode | First broadcast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | "Weymouth to Lulworth[43]" | 12 June 2023 | |
| Portillo's first stop is Weymouth and from the station he heads for the beach, before visiting the Isle of Portland. He then goes down to Portland Harbour and, at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, he discovers why Weymouth is ideal for sailing. After visiting Chesil Beach, he travels to the village of Abbotsbury to see the swannery. Returning to Weymouth Station, his next destination is Dorchester where he visits the Shire Hall. Here he visits the cells of the Old Court House where the Tolpuddle Martyrs were held and then talks about the events which led to the legalisation of Trade Unions. His next stop is Wool to see Worbarrow Bay, before going back inland to visit the abandoned village of Tyneham. Next he goes to the top of Lulworth Ranges and discovers that it is not only a crucial military facility, but also an important home to wildlife. | |||
| 17 | "Kimmeridge to Brownsea Island[44]" | 13 June 2023 | |
| Alighting at Wareham, Portillo heads for Kimmeridge Bay to visit an oil production site. At Swanage he takes a walk around the seafront, before going to the station where he takes the train on the Swanage Railway to Corfe Castle. After looking around the station, he then takes the train back to Wareham. Now, back on the main line, he travels to Poole and goes to see the harbour. Next he visits the manufacturing head quarters of the global cosmetics firm, Lush to see how seaweed is being used in both cosmetic and bathing products. Then he makes his way to Sandbanks, where he meets former football manager, Harry Redknapp. At the end of the peninsula, he watches the chain ferry depart for Studland, before taking the boat to Brownsea Island. On the island he visits Brownsea Castle and learns about Mary Bonham-Christie, who bought the island in 1927. He finishes this leg of his journey by going into the woods to observe red squirrels. | |||
| 18 | "Southampton to Isle of Wight[45]" | 14 June 2023 | |
| Portillo alights at Southampton Central and sees a surviving part of the medieval walls. At the National Oceanography Centre he sees unmanned automatic submarines and visits the microplastics laboratory. Next he takes the Red Funnel ferry to East Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, and then makes his way to Ryde where he walks to the end of the pier. He then takes the train from Ryde Pier Head to Ryde St John's Road to visit the Ryde Traincare Depot, where he sees refurbished London Underground trains. Next he goes to Havenstreet Station to ride on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and then alights at Wootton to visit the Isle of Wight Garlic Farm. In the west of the island, at The Needles, he learns about the British Cold War rocket programme and then, in the underground mission control, he sees a model of Prospero, Britain's first satellite. | |||
| 19 | "Lee-on-the-Solent to Bosham[46]" | 15 June 2023 | |
| Portillo alights at Fareham for Lee-on-the-Solent to visit the H M Coastguard Training Centre, where he participates in a rescue exercise. Back on the main line, his next stop is Portsmouth Harbour, where he sees HMS Victory before meeting the Queen's Harbour Master. Next he goes on board the aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, where he sees the propulsion units and goes onto the bridge. His last stop is Bosham to see Holy Trinity Church, which was depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. Then at Chichester Harbour he finds out how the landscape is being managed as an important bird sanctuary. | |||
| 20 | "Fishbourne to Seaford[47]" | 16 June 2023 | |
| Portillo's next stop is Fishbourne, to visit the remains of a Roman Palace where he sees some elaborate mosaics. Next he travels to Brighton Station, where he is impressed by its Victorian architecture. On the beach, he meets actress and writer Carol Harrison, who talks about the fighting which occurred between mods and rockers on Brighton Beach in 1964. Portillo then visits Jump The Gun Boutique, which specialises in early 1960s menswear and selects a suit for himself. After going to the top of the i360, he overnights at The Twenty One Bed and Breakfast. Returning to the railway, the train takes him alongside the River Ouse to Seaford Station and from there he travels to the Eastern end of the South Downs National Park for the Rathfinny Wine Estate. Here he visits the winery and samples the wine. | |||
