Journey 5

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

The Holyhead line was first built to carry mail from Wales to Ireland, but brought many changes to industries along its route, including perry-makers, Hereford cattle farmers, Cheshire cheese-makers and slate miners. Michael Portillo travels to Hereford to see the Mappa Mundi and visits Coalbrookdale, cradle of the iron industry and the home of the world's first iron bridge. And beyond Robert Stephenson's famous Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait, he finds the station with the longest place name in Europe.

Places visited: Ledbury, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Coalbrookedale, Telford, Wrexham, Cheshire, Chester, Llandudno, Conwy, Betws-y-coed, Mount Snowdon, Llanfair and Holyhead.

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.