Great British Railway Journeys - Season 5 - Eps 17: Ipswich to Chelmsford

2014-01-2830 min⭐ 7.3/10

Guided by his 19th century Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey from Norwich to Chichester. On this first leg he explores Norwich's medieval heart. In the city's Norman castle he uncovers the Victorian public's gory fascination with crime and punishment and finds out how campaigners such as Elizabeth Fry, who was born in Norwich, worked to improve conditions for prisoners. At the city's livestock market, Michael learns how to buy a calf at auction with a subtle twitch of his guidebook. He then heads west to Thetford to explore the rabbit warrens of the Brecks. He discovers how the Victorian appetite for rabbits and their fur led to special train services to London, known as Bunny Trains. After a painful encounter with a polecat, Michael heads northwest to Brandon, home of some of the best quality flint in Britain and tries his hand at flint-knapping.

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About Great British Railway Journeys

Great British Railway Journeys

Title: Great British Railway Journeys

First Air Date: 2010-01-04

Last Air Date: 2024-04-05

Status: Returning Series

Rating: 7.3/10 (from 11 votes)

Language: EN

Seasons: 16

Total Episodes: 270

Network: BBC Two

Genres: Documentary

Production Companies: Talkback Thames, Fremantle UK

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.

Cast

Michael Portillo

Michael Portillo

Self - Presenter

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