Walking Britain's Lost Railways

Last updated

Walking Britain's Lost Railways
Genre Documentary
Presented by Rob Bell
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series4
No. of episodes20 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersMelanie Darlaston
Fintan Maguire
ProducerChristopher Bruce
Running time48 minutes
Production companiesRumpus Media and Motion Content Group
Original release
Network Channel 5
Release21 September 2018 (2018-09-21) –
present

Walking Britain's Lost Railways is a British documentary television series presented by Rob Bell that first aired on Channel 5 on 21 September 2018. A second series premiered on Channel 5 on 9 February 2020. [1] A third series premiered on Channel 5 on 27 November 2020. A fourth series premiered on Channel 5 on 15 October 2021.

Contents

History

Presenter Rob Bell walks sections of British railways that were closed during the Beeching cuts of the early 1960s, [2] [3] telling the history and current stories [4] associated with the lost routes. [5]

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 621 September 2018 (2018-09-21)26 October 2018 (2018-10-26)
2 69 February 2020 (2020-02-09)24 April 2020 (2020-04-24)
3 427 November 2020 (2020-11-27)18 December 2020 (2020-12-18)
4 415 October 2021 (2021-10-15)19 November 2021 (2021-11-19)

Series 1 (2018)

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byOriginal air dateU.K. viewers
(millions)  [6]
11"Scotland"Adam Kaleta21 September 2018 (2018-09-21)1.22
Rob walks the former line from Elgin to Portsoy, the Moray line which had originally served both the fishing and whisky industries. The line was decommissioned in the 1960s and he visits the former station at Elgin which was built in 1858 [7] and visits Lossiemouth on the Scottish Riviera and discovers about its former history as a whisky and fishing port. [8] Rob goes onto kayak through Bow Fiddle Rock near Portknockie; wonder at the Spey Bridge in Newtonmore and the several glorious viaducts in Cullen; visit the Glenglassaugh distillery and view a boat race in Portsoy.
22"Sheffield"Adam Kaleta28 September 2018 (2018-09-28)1.12
Rob starts his journey at the site of the former Sheffield Victoria station, travelling via the Woodhead line to Manchester Piccadilly station. [9] He travels along a remaining stretch of the line that serves Stocksbridge steelworks, visits a miniature railway at Wortley and explores the Woodhead tunnel now home to National Grid power cables. [10] He visits Thurgoland Tunnel where the sound effect of the tunnels shape is demonstrated by a saxophone playing scientist, and then rejoins another remaining section of the line at Hadfield and travels by rail to Manchester.
33"Dartmoor"Adam Kaleta5 October 2018 (2018-10-05)1.28
Rob starts his journey along the closed Dartmoor line by visiting a model maker who has recreated the Plymouth to Exeter line. [11] He visits Tavistock where he learns about Rabbit Pie, and then goes on to visit the Ambrosia Cream Rice factory to discover how the railway helped it expand. He travels along The Granite Way cycle route that now occupies part of the track beds. At Okehampton, he meets members of the Dartmoor Railway Association [12] who campaigned to re-open the line to Exeter.
44"Lake District"Adam Kaleta12 October 2018 (2018-10-12)1.12
In this episode Rob walks the former Penrith to Cockermouth line in Cumbria. Along the way he visits Keswick Station to discover colourful stories, hears about the tragic story of engineer Thomas Bouch, visits a former ore mine and tells story of the decline of the line by the advent of the motorcar with help from the Lakeland Motor Museum. [13] [14]
55"Somerset and Dorset"Adam Kaleta19 October 2018 (2018-10-19)1.03
Rob walks the former Somerset and Dorset line closed in 1966. He visits the start of the line in Burnham on Sea where he hears about its history from local historian John Strickland. Following the line through Highbridge across the Somerset Levels he discovers the complicated issues that engineers had to deal with when creating the railway and the high costs that were involved, including a 26-mile stretch that cost an equivalent £35 million today. At Glastonbury he meets Tor, a local guide who discusses the resurgent interest in Arthurian Legend. [15] He then visits the northern stretch to Bath through the Coombe Down Tunnel, UK's longest without intermediate ventilation which faced a tragic accident and is now part of a national cycle route. [16] [17] [5]
66"Wales"Adam Kaleta26 October 2018 (2018-10-26)1.18
Rob walks along the former railway line between Ruabon and Barmouth in North Wales which had been a busy route prior to its closure in 1965. Along the way he visits the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct; rides the Llangollen Railway, canoes on Bala Lake and rides the Bala Lake Railway; hears the local sounds from a Harpist in Dolgellau and examines its history as a tourist line during the Victorian period. [18]

Series 2 (2020)

No.
overall		No. in
series		Title  [19] Directed byOriginal air date  [19] U.K. viewers
(millions)
71"Derbyshire"Rosie Saunders9 February 2020 (2020-02-09)1.124
In Derbyshire, Rob travels along a stretch of what was once part of the London to Manchester express route, through the glorious countryside of Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park.
82"The Durham Coalfields"Lucy Joyner16 February 2020 (2020-02-16)0.952
Rob Bell explores the era when our modern railways were born in the industrial heartlands of the North-East, where for over 150 years coal was king. Visiting former collieries, living museums and meeting former miners, he tells the story of the 1822 Hetton line, the world's first railway designed for steam locomotives.
93"North Wales [20] "Rosie Saunders3 April 2020 (2020-04-03)1.268
Rob Bell travels to Bangor, where he explores a lost line that was built in 1801 to transport Welsh slate from the local quarry, down to the sea.
104"Royal Deeside [21] "Rosie Saunders10 April 2020 (2020-04-10)1.018
Rob journeys through the Scottish Highlands, following a path cut by the world's first global star - Queen Victoria.
115"Norfolk [22] "Lucy Joyner17 April 2020 (2020-04-17)1.348
Rob follows the line of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway from King's Lynn to Great Yarmouth, discovering a lost railway through some of the quietest parts of England, but also some of the richest country estates of all.
126"Edinburgh [23] "Rosie Saunders24 April 2020 (2020-04-24)1.243
Rob follows the Waverley Line, which stretches for 100 miles south from Edinburgh.

Series 3 (2020)

No.
overall		No. in
series		Title  [19] Directed byOriginal air date  [19] U.K. viewers
(millions)
131"North Devon"Matt Cottingham27 November 2020 (2020-11-27)1.513
Rob explores two of North Devon's former railways - the Ilfracombe branch line of the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) that ran from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe, and the Barnstaple to Lynton line.
142"Walking Scotland's Lost Railways: Highlands"Matt Cottingham4 December 2020 (2020-12-04)1.537
Rob is in the Scottish Highlands recounting the history of the Callander and Oban Railway, which ran through west Scotland's rugged countryside for 57 years.
153"Cotswolds"Matt Cottingham11 December 2020 (2020-12-11)1.392
Rob examines the history of the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway, which was in use for over 100 years until its closure in 1969.
164"East Midlands"Matt Cottingham18 December 2020 (2020-12-18)1.217
Rob is in the East Midlands, examining the impact of Edward Watkin's Great Central Railway, which ran from Manchester, through the Midlands and onto London.

Series 4 (2021)

No.
overall		No. in
series		Title  [19] Directed byOriginal air date  [19] U.K. viewers
(millions)
171"Walking Yorkshire's Lost Railways"Matt Cottingham15 October 2021 (2021-10-15)N/A
Rob is in Yorkshire, looking into the history of the line built to connect York to Hull, via Beverley, and the part played by "The Railway King" George Hudson.
182"Walking Cornwall's Lost Railways"Matt Cottingham22 October 2021 (2021-10-22)N/A
Rob travels across Cornwall's first two railway lines—the Portreath Tramroad and Redruth and Chasewater Railway, where he learns more about the vital role they played in the county's mining industry.
193"Walking Kent's Lost Railways"Matt Cottingham29 October 2021 (2021-10-29)N/A
Rob visits Kent and the abandoned Elham Valley Railway, where he delves into its important past during the two world wars.
204"Walking Northern Ireland's Lost Railways"Matt Cottingham19 November 2021 (2021-11-19)N/A
Exploring the lost railways of Northern Ireland, Rob travels along the route of its first railway to be built, from Belfast on the east coast, via Armagh, to Bundoran on the west coast.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Portillo</span> British journalist, broadcaster, and former politician (born 1953)

Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party politician. His broadcast series include railway documentaries such as Great British Railway Journeys and Great Continental Railway Journeys. A former member of the Conservative Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Enfield Southgate from 1984 to 1997 and Kensington and Chelsea from 1999 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jools Holland</span> English musician and television personality (born 1958)

Julian Miles Holland is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Marc Almond, Joss Stone, Jayne County, Tom Jones, José Feliciano, Sting, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Ringo Starr, Bono, Rod Stewart and Ruby Turner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Brydon</span> Welsh actor and comedian (born 1965)

Robert Brydon Jones is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. Brydon gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. Brydon was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Honours in 2013 for services to comedy and broadcasting, and for charitable services.

<i>Midsomer Murders</i> British television detective drama series

Midsomer Murders is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the Chief Inspector Barnaby book series created by Caroline Graham, and broadcasts on the ITV Network since its premiere on 23 March 1997. The series focuses on various murder cases that take place within small country villages across the fictional English county of Midsomer, and the efforts of the senior police detective and his partner within the fictional Midsomer Constabulary to solve the crime by determining who the culprit is and the motive for their actions. It differs from other detective dramas in featuring a mixture of lighthearted whimsy and dark humour, as well as a notable soundtrack with a title theme that includes a theremin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Davis</span> English actress (born 1966)

Julia Charlotte L. Davis is an English actress, comedian, director and writer. She is known for writing and starring in the BBC Three comedy Nighty Night (2004–2005) and the comedies Hunderby (2012–2015) and Camping (2016), which she also directed. Davis has been noted by critics for creating boundary-pushing black comedy that centres female anti-hero characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Jones</span> Welsh actress, producer, and writer (born 1966)

Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the award-winning BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey. She later co-wrote and starred in the Sky One comedy-drama Stella (2012–2017), for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance and won the BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5Star</span> British digital television channel

5Star is a British free-to-air television channel owned by Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global, which is grouped under Paramount Networks UK & Australia division. It originally launched as the female-orientated Five Life on 15 October 2006, and was relaunched as Fiver on 28 April 2008 with a revised version of the same concept. The channel later re-branded as 5* on 7 March 2011, and later to its current name on 11 February 2016. The network focuses on documentaries, comedy and drama, with a range of original content such as Rich Kids Go Skint and Young, Dumb & Banged Up in the Sun, along with some American and Australian imports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Horgan</span> Irish actress, writer, director, producer, and comedian (born 1970)

Sharon Lorencia Horgan is an Irish actress, writer, director, producer, and comedian. She is best known for creating and starring in the comedy series Pulling (2006–2009), Catastrophe (2015–2019), and Bad Sisters (2022–present). She also created the comedy series Divorce (2016–2019), Motherland (2016–2022), and Shining Vale (2022–2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plas Newydd, Llangollen</span> House in Denbighshire, Wales

Plas Newydd is a historic house in the town of Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales, and was the home of the Ladies of Llangollen, Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, for nearly 50 years. Today, it is run as a museum by Denbighshire County Council.

Channel 5 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's UK and Australia division. It was launched in 1997 to provide a fifth national terrestrial channel in the United Kingdom.

<i>The Great British Bake Off</i> British television baking competition

The Great British Bake Off is a British television baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, attempting to impress two judges with their baking skills. One contestant is eliminated in each round, and the winner is selected from the three contestants who reach the final.

Channel 5 airs a wide variety of programming that covers various genres and themes, with programmes about farming, trains and royalty being popular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzannah Lipscomb</span> British historian and television presenter

Suzannah Rebecca Gabriella Lipscomb is a British historian and professor emerita at the University of Roehampton, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Higher Education Academy and the Society of Antiquaries, and has for many years contributed a regular column to History Today. She has written and edited a number of books, presented numerous historical documentaries on TV and is host of the Not Just the Tudors podcast from History Hit. She is also a royal historian for NBC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Rinder</span> British barrister and television personality

Robert Michael Rinder, sometimes known as Judge Rinder, is a British criminal barrister and television personality. In 2014, while still a practising barrister, he began hosting the reality courtroom series Judge Rinder. In 2019, he also began hosting the Channel 4 series The Rob Rinder Verdict.

<i>Derry Girls</i> British teen sitcom television series

Derry Girls is a British period teen sitcom set in Northern Ireland, created and written by Lisa McGee, that premiered on 4 January 2018 on Channel 4 and ran for three series. The channel's most successful comedy since Father Ted, the series was inspired by McGee's own experiences growing up in Derry, Northern Ireland, in the 1990s, during the final years of the Troubles. It stars Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, and Dylan Llewellyn as five teenagers living in mid-1990s Derry while attending Our Lady Immaculate College, a fictional girls' Catholic secondary school based on the real-life Thornhill College, where McGee herself studied. Produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions, Derry Girls was filmed in Northern Ireland, with most scenes shot on location in Derry and some in Belfast.

5Select is a British free-to-air television channel which features documentaries, arts, dramas, comedies and Channel 5 original content. It is owned by Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global, which is grouped under Paramount Networks UK & Australia division.

Britain's Most Historic Towns is a British television history programme presented by Alice Roberts that began airing on Channel 4 in 2018. A second and third series were commissioned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Bell (TV presenter)</span> British TV presenter (born 1979)

Rob Bell is a British TV presenter and STEMnet ambassador. He has appeared on TV programmes on BBC, Channel 5, Travel Channel and Yesterday.

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways, also known as Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys, is a British television documentary series presented by Chris Tarrant for Channel 5. In the series, Tarrant travels worldwide to visit railways that go through the harshest terrain. He also travels on railways that are some of the world's oldest and most scenic, and finds out their history. So far, six series of the programme have aired from 5 December 2012 to 3 December 2020.

References

  1. ↑ Segal, Victoria (8 February 2020). "TV and Radio Picks of the Week - The Times" . Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  2. ↑ Horsford, Simon (21 September 2018). "On the trail of Britain's lost railways - The Telegraph Horsford.S p.21 September 2018". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  3. ↑ "TV preview: From the brilliantly addictive Bodyguard to excruciatingly awkward Wanderlust - The Independent O'Grady.S p.14 September 2018". Independent.co.uk . 14 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Walking the lost rail line from Sheffield to Manchester with TV's Rob Bell - The Star Blackledge.R p.26 September 2018" . Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Burnham-On-Sea railway history to be featured on national TV show - Burnham-On-Sea.com p.19 October 2018". 19 October 2018.
  6. ↑ "BARB Four-screen dashboard" . Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  7. ↑ Thomson, Charles (8 March 2016). "TV highlights from Saturday, September 15 - The Yellow Advertiser p.14 September 2018". Yellow Advertiser. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  8. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways Series 1 Episode 1 Scotland - Radio Times" . Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  9. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways Episode 2 Series 1 - Radio Times" . Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  10. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways - Daily Telegraph p.28 September 2018" . Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  11. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways Episode 3 Series 1 - Radio Times" . Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  12. ↑ "Dartmoor Railway to feature on Channel 5 - Railway Advent Holden.M p.20 September 2018" . Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  13. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways Episode 4 Series 1 - Radio Times" . Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  14. ↑ "Lakeland Motor Museum team to feature in TV's Walking Britain's Lost Railways - Cumbria Crack p.11 October 2018" . Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  15. ↑ "New Channel 5 series 'Walking Britain's Lost Railways' - torstourofthetor p.24 June 2018". 24 June 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  16. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways Episode 5 Series 1 - Radio Times" . Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  17. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways - Inside Soap p.9 October 2018" . Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  18. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways Episode 6 Series 1 - Radio Times" . Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Walking Britain's Lost Railways – Listings". The Futon Critic . Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  20. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways - Episode 3 North Wales - Radio Times" . Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways - Episode 4 Royal Deeside - Radio Times" . Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  22. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways - Episode 5 Norfolk - Radio Times" . Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  23. ↑ "Walking Britain's Lost Railways - Episode 6 Edinburgh - Radio Times" . Retrieved 24 April 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.