Journey 13: Berwick to the Isle of Man

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 Carnforth station, famous for its appearance in Brief Encounter, and the journey ends in the Isle of Man with the spectacular scenery of the Snaefell Mountain Railway.

Places visited: Berwick, Newcastle, Stockton, Darlington, Carlisle, Furness, Morecambe Bay, Carnforth, Lancaster, Isle of Man.

This individual journey is one of a series taken from the bestselling books Great British Railway Journeys and Great Victorian Railway Journeys that accompany the highly successful BBC Two series. Michael Portillo follows the famous George Bradshaw railway guides in railway journeys across the length and breadth of the country, discovering spectacular scenery and stunning architecture and exploring local history and industry.