Great British Railway Journeys - Season 5 Episode 17
Ipswich to Chelmsford

Guided by his 19th century Bradshaws guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a new journey from Norwich to Chichester. On this first leg he explores Norwichs medieval heart. In the citys Norman castle he uncovers the Victorian publics gory fascination with crime and punishment and finds out how campaigners such as Elizabeth Fry, who was born in Norwich, worked to improve conditions for prisoners. At the citys livestock market, Michael learns how to buy a calf at auction with a subtle twitch of his guidebook. He then heads west to Thetford to explore the rabbit warrens of the Brecks. He discovers how the Victorian appetite for rabbits and their fur led to special train services to London, known as Bunny Trains. After a painful encounter with a polecat, Michael heads northwest to Brandon, home of some of the best quality flint in Britain and tries his hand at flint-knapping.