Great British Railway Journeys Catch up, Series 13: 5. Herne Bay to Leeds Castle, Kent on BBC 2

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 13: 5. Herne Bay to Leeds Castle, Kent

Armed with his interwar copy of Bradshaw’s Guide to the Railways, Michael reaches the Kent seaside resort of Herne Bay, where he learns about a pioneering aviatrix who began her working life as a typist in Hull but whose epic achievements made her an international celebrity.\n\nMichael takes the train five miles west along the coast before heading offshore into the entrance to the Thames Estuary. He is amazed by seven enormous steel sea forts, which loom out of the water 90 feet above the seabed. The engineering involved in constructing these impressive structures is awe-inspiring, as is their role in protecting the nation from enemy bombing during the Second World War.\n\nIn the seaside town of Whitstable, Michael tucks into its famous staple, oysters. He then crosses the North Downs to Lenham, from which he visits Leeds Castle, the 'loveliest castle in the world' and home between the wars to the visionary Lady Olive Bailey.

Source: BBC 2

Most recent episodes of Great British Railway Journeys

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 13: 5. Herne Bay To Leeds Castle, Kent

Armed with his interwar copy of Bradshaw’s Guide to the Railways, Michael reaches the Kent seaside resort of Herne Bay, where he learns about a pioneering aviatrix who beg ...

18-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 13: 4. Deal To Margate

From the Kent Cinque Port of Deal, Michael heads to the splendid Walmer Castle, home during the 1920s to a Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Lord Beauchamp. Michael’s guide ...

17-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 13: 3. Rye To Dungeness

Michael Portillo follows his 1930s Bradshaw’s guide to the unspoilt East Sussex Cinque Port of Rye. On the windswept harbour beach, he hears how, in 1928, a generation of ...

16-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 13: 2. Hassocks To Benenden

Starting in Hassocks, Michael makes his way to the beautiful Sussex village of Ditchling, where, between the wars, a Roman Catholic community of artists made their home. Michael ...

15-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 13: 1. Biggin Hill To Ashdown Forest

Michael Portillo experiences a terrifying ‘victory roll’ in a World War II Spitfire, high above the most famous aerodrome of the Battle of Britain, Biggin Hill. The ...

14-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 5. Chichester To Amberley

Michael Portillo’s railway tour of the green and pleasant landscape between the North and South Downs, known as the Weald, nears its conclusion.\n\nNear Chichester, Michae ...

04-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 4. Gatwick Airport To Royal Tunbridge Wells

Michael Portillo’s rail exploration of the spectacular countryside of the Weald in Surrey, Sussex and Kent continues - this time, aboard the Gatwick Express train, which c ...

03-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 3. Dorking To Lingfield

Michael Portillo’s railway tour of the Weald reaches the spectacular Surrey countryside, where he finds a surprising connection to the darker reaches of the universe.\n\nI ...

02-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 2. Hildenborough To Robertsbridge

Michael Portillo’s rail exploration of the historic wooded region of south east England, known as the Weald, continues from Tonbridge, at the heart of the area's rail netw ...

01-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 1. Paddock Wood To Frant

Michael Portillo takes to the rails to explore one of Britain’s oldest surviving landscapes, the woods and pasture of the Weald in south east England. Between the chalk hi ...

31-08-2026

BBC 2

All episodes