Middlesbrough is to star in BBC Two’s Great British Railway Journeys presented by Michael Portillo this month.
The former politician’s visit to Middlesbrough begins with the fourth leg of his journey from Derby to Lindisfarne, which forms the basis of the flagship programme’s sixth series.
The show follows the presenter’s travels around the country by train using a copy of George Bradshaw’s Guidebook to compare and contrast modern Britain with that documented by the Victorian cartographer.
During his stop-off in the town, Portillo visits historic William Lane Foundry as he explores the area’s rapid 19th Century rise from a hamlet to a centre of Victorian Britain’s iron and steel industries.
As part of his tour of the Forty Foot Road-based foundry, Portillo helps cast a carrot valve for a vintage steam engine alongside the foundry’s Stuart Duffy.
A visit to Middlesbrough Dock in the heart of 21st Century regeneration area Middlehaven sees the presenter revisit the town’s industrial heyday with Tees Transporter Bridge education officer and urban historian Tosh Warwick.
There he explores Middlesbrough’s history as the first major settlement to emerge as a result of the development of the railways in the 1820s and the expansion of Middlesbrough following the extension of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
The presenter also took the opportunity to enjoy refreshments at Brasserie Hudson Quay, one of the new arrivals in the area and a symbol of its transformation into a modern leisure and business destination.
Tosh Warwick said: “It is fantastic to showcase the area’s rich industrial heritage on such a popular programme that is broadcast across the globe and viewed by millions.
“Middlesbrough has a unique place in the history of Britain as the leading example of the vast expansion of towns and cities during the Victorian period centred upon improved railway links and the manufacture of iron and steel.
“This is a key element of the area’s heritage and forms a major part of the Heritage Lottery Fund-supported Tees Transporter Bridge Visitor Experience Project works.”
Edward Bilcliffe, MD of William Lane Foundry, added: “We were delighted to welcome Michael and his team to our Foundry, which relocated to the heart of Middlesbrough’s Ironmasters District in 1890, after setting up in Stockton in 1862. We have stood the test of time as a poignant reminder of the industries which the Victorian town was all about.”
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