Journey 1: Liverpool to Scarborough

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.

George Stephenson’s Liverpool & Manchester Railway was the first in the world where steam locomotives pulled paying passengers, and his locomotive the Rocket changed the face of travelling in Britain. On his journey from Liverpool to Scarborough Michael Portillo examines the history of the Manchester cotton mills, encounters industries as diverse as hat-making, fishing, the baking of Eccles cakes and liquorice production, and finds the birthplace of George Bradshaw, author of the celebrated railway guides.

Places visited: Liverpool, Rainhill, Eccles, Manchester, Denton, Illkley Moor, Yorkshire Dales, York, Pontefract, Hull, Bridlington, Bempton, Filey and Scarborough.

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.

Reviews

‘A colourful insight into Britain over the last 150 years’ – National Geographic Traveller

About the author

Charlie Bunce has spent his working life in broadcasting producing many award-winning programmes. He is now Editor of Factual Programmes at talkbackTHAMES, where he produced Grand Designs and Great British Railway Journeys.