Great British Railway Journeys - Season 5 Episode 18
Ilford to Rochester

Steered by his Bradshaws, Michael Portillo heads along the Essex bank of the Thames before crossing the river into the Garden of England, Kent. He begins this leg at Barkingside, where a Victorian philanthropist called Dr Thomas Barnardo made it his lifes work to transform the lives of destitute children. From Upminster Michael takes the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway to Tilbury and finds out how the line and the old station transformed the town into one of the countrys most important ports. At the docks, Michael tries his hand at loading a container on to a pocket wagon. Over the river at Gravesend Michael discovers how one of Queen Victorias favourite army officers, General Gordon, left his mark on the town. Michaels last destination on this leg is Rochester, where he encounters a host of familiar characters and explores the city which was home to one of the Victorian eras greatest writers, Charles Dickens.