Season 2 (2023)
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Episodes 20
Douglas to Port Erin
Michael Portillo begins another railway adventure across and beyond the United Kingdom.
Read MoreLiverpool to Blackpool
From the Isle of Man, Michael Portillo crosses the Irish Sea, bound for the mighty port of Liverpool and its historic waterfront.
Read MoreMorecambe to Grange-over-Sands
Michael Portillo continues his rail journey, learning to make potted shrimp at Morecambe Bay, helping clip the topiaries at Levens Hall and visiting Cartmel's 12th-century priory.
Read MoreUlverston to Ravenglass
Michael Portillo is in Cumbria, enjoying one of the most spectacular coastal railway journeys in Britain. He takes to the lake in Ulverston and hikes up Black Combe.
Read MoreSt 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.
Read MoreMiddlesbrough to Boulby
Michael's journey propels him in search of the unknown universe in Boulby, North Yorkshire, as he joins the hunt for dark matter in the deepest mine in Britain.
Read MoreWhitby to Robin Hood's Bay
Michael Portillo travels from Whitby, where he explores the port’s shipbuilding and seafaring heritage, to Robin Hood's Bay, a former smuggling haven.
Read MoreScarborough to Bridlington
Michael Portillo is in the seaside resort of Scarborough to explore one of the greatest royal fortresses in England.
Read MoreHornsea to Spurn Point
Michael Portillo travels from the pretty seaside resort of Hornsea, famous for its distinctive pottery, to Spurn Point, where Michael learns about a life-saving 19th-century invention.
Read MoreGrimsby 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 history.
Read MoreBallarena 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 provinces of Ulster and Leinster.
Read MoreBallymena 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.
Read MoreBangor to Belfast
Michael Portillo is in Bangor, County Down, en route to the Northern Irish capital, Belfast.
Read MoreCarlingford to Dublin
Michael Portillo continues his railway journey along the Atlantic and Irish Sea coasts of Ireland, travelling from Newry into the Republic. He helps shake bags of oysters and visits an ancient cairn.
Read MoreDun Laoghaire to Rosslare
Michael Portillo begins the final leg of his railway journey, beginning in the harbour town of Dun Laoghaire
Read MoreWeymouth to Lulworth
Michael is on a rail journey across the southern coast of England, beginning in Dorset. He takes to the water in Portland Harbour and hears the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs.
Read MoreKimmeridge to Brownsea Island
Michael alights at Wareham to visit Dorset’s internationally renowned Jurassic Coast. He heads through Swanage, Poole and Sandbanks before ending his journey on Brownsea Island.
Read MoreSouthampton to Isle of Wight
Michael heads from a bustling Southampton to the Isle of Wight, where he rides the island’s railway, made up of recycled London Underground trains.
Read MoreLee-on-the-Solent to Bosham
Michael helps out at a coastguard training centre, visits the harbour master at the great maritime city of Portsmouth and learns about conservation projects in Chichester.
Read MoreFishbourne to Seaford
The final leg of Michael's journey begins in Fishbourne, the location of one of the most significant Roman sites in Britain.
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