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The perfect companion to Bradshaw’s guide book. Showcasing in colour all that is great about Bradshaw’s guide.Great British Railway Journeys has been a hugely successful TV programme, which is now into its third series on BBC2. Much as Michael Palin built up a dedicated fan base for travel around the globe, so Michael Portillo has done likewise for lovers of trains in his explorations the length and breadth of the United Kingdom from the window of a train seat.Both charming and insightful,...

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.Beginning with the grandeur of Oxford, Michael Portillo travels through the country of Shakespeare and Elgar and discovers the delights of Oxford sausages and Worcester sauce, the beauties of Malvern and its spa and the craft of glove-making. The journey continues into Wales, where the landscape is soon dominated by the development of the mining, steel and shipping industries, which in turn...

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.Robert Stephenson’s stunning Royal Border Bridge at Berwick is the starting point for this journey, which also features his High Level Bridge at Newcastle. As the line ploughs through heather and bracken from Newcastle to Carlisle, Michael Portillo learns about the railway speculation which gripped the country in the Victorian Era, with disastrous results for many. Further along the route is...

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.The late nineteenth century brought railway fever to Ireland, and Victorian travellers were keen to explore a country rich in myth and mystery. Starting in the beautiful city of Dublin, Michael Portillo travels to the fishing port of Balbriggan, crosses the spectacular Boyne viaduct, and learns about the tragic Armagh rail disaster en route to Belfast, home of the Irish shipbuilding industry....

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.Although not initially a fan of rail travel, Queen Victoria was soon converted and pronounced herself ‘quite charmed with it’, and railway companies provided sumptuous royal carriages for her use. The railway route from Windsor to Weymouth transported her to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, her favourite royal residence. Michael Portillo also discovers one of Brunel’s most graceful bridges...

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.The line between Great Yarmouth to London brought holidaymakers flocking to the coast and transported herrings, fresh vegetables and milk into London. Starting in Great Yarmouth, Michael Portillo’s journey takes him through the coastal resorts of Southwold and Southend via innovative swing bridges at Reedham and Yare, and towards the capital itself, the scene of frenzied construction of railway...