Great British Railway Journeys Catch up, Series 12: 4. Guildford to Aldershot on BBC 2

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 12: 4. Guildford to Aldershot

Michael Portillo resumes his tour of the Home Counties in the picturesque and historic county town of Guildford. His 1936 Bradshaw’s guide commends its 'fine old castle keep' and guildhall but makes no mention of its hilltop cathedral. Michael meets head guide Janet Matthews to discover the origins of the first Anglican cathedral to be built on a new site in the south of England since the Reformation – begun in 1936. He finds splendid architecture and modern materials have combined to produce a gloriously open building full of space and light. Michael climbs its 160 foot tower for a panoramic view of Surrey.\n\nMichael’s next stop is Chilworth, from which he follows his guide to Newlands Corner on the slopes of the North Downs. At this popular beauty spot, the famous crime writer Agatha Christie disappeared, sparking a massive search and a tabloid frenzy. A Christie biographer pieces the puzzle together for Michael.\n\nHeading west across the county, Michael reaches the Georgian market town of Farnham with its 12th-century castle, once home to the bishops of Winchester. Intrigued by his Bradshaw’s reference to a famous Farnham painter, WH Allen, Michael joins the artist’s great-great-niece in the castle’s splendid gardens to learn more about him. A kind Farnham artist encourages Michael to commit the castle to canvas in his own way.\n\nAfter a luxurious night at the castle, Michael crosses into Hampshire to reach Aldershot. At the home of the British Army, he hears how in the years leading up to the World War II, the town began to receive conscripts for military training.

Source: BBC 2

Most recent episodes of Great British Railway Journeys

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 14: 15. Tewkesbury To Filton

Michael Portillo is on the last leg of his railway journey from the train-building city of Derby to the aircraft manufacturing base of Filton. From Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, ...

19-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 14: 14. Wolverhampton To Cheltenham

At the African and Caribbean Heritage Centre in Wolverhampton, Michael finds out about the impact of Enoch Powell's 1968 speech on immigration in Wolverhampton and across the na ...

18-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 14: 13. Long Itchington To Moseley

Michael Portillo’s railway journey reaches the heart of the Warwickshire countryside, where work is underway on a section of the biggest project of new railway infrastruct ...

14-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 14: 12. Coventry To Leamington Spa

In Coventry, Michael recalls the destruction by the German Luftwaffe of the city’s gothic cathedral in November 1940. He hears how architect Basil Spence won a competition ...

12-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 14: 11. Derby To Hinckley

Michael Portillo explores the postwar Britain of his youth on a railway journey from the Midlands to the West Country.\n\nBeginning in Derby's famous 19th-century railway works, ...

11-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 14: 10. Brandon To Cambridge

Michael Portillo completes his railway journey through the east of England during the post-war period. At RAF Lakenheath, he discovers a slice of America dropped into the Britis ...

10-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 14: 9. Felixstowe To Norwich

Michael Portillo continues his rail exploration of the east of England, beginning with the seafront at Felixstowe, where in January 1953, the town was engulfed in the worst floo ...

05-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 14: 8. Paddington To Ongar

Michael Portillo ventures deep underground onto London’s newest railway: the Elizabeth Line. Emerging into the sunshine in Bedford Square, he recalls the choking smogs whi ...

04-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 14: 7. Waterloo To Regent's Park

Michael Portillo continues his railway exploration of the post-war Britain of his youth on a journey from London to Cambridge. \n\nHe begins on the capital’s South Bank, ...

03-02-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 14: 6. Tilbury To Barbican

Michael Portillo travels through the Britain of his youth from London’s Docklands and East End to the ‘city within a city’, the Barbican. \n\nAt Tilbury, he t ...

29-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes