Great Coastal Railway Journeys: Port Talbot to Pembrey Burry Port (BBC Four Tuesday 19 September 2023)

Great Coastal Railway Journeys: Port Talbot to Pembrey Burry Port airs Tuesday 19 September 2023 on BBC Four.

What is this episode about

The town of Port Talbot, famous for its steel production, is the next stop on Michael Portillo’s rail journey along the south coast of Wales. He observes the pouring of tonnes of molten iron into railroad waggons for transport to the steel plant and inquires into the sector’s plans for decarbonization. At Swansea University, he learns that researchers are trying to harness otherwise wasted energy, starting with heat.

Michael travels across the bay to the town of Mumbles, which was home to the world’s first passenger railway in 1807 and is now the site of innovative sea wall research. Michael finds innovative research into designing the next generation of sea defences that considers both engineering properties and biodiversity. Scientists are keeping an eye on various patterned hexagonal tiles to see which ones are preferred by seaweeds and other marine organisms.

Michael travels west from Swansea to Gowerton, stopping at the salt marsh by the Burry Inlet to watch a young sheepdog named Toby perform. Before he eats at a neighbourhood pub, Michael finds out what it takes to raise saltmarsh lamb.

When the tide is out, Pembrey Sands, an eight-mile stretch of beach, is three miles wide. Michael takes the train from Gowerton to Burry Port, following the coast. He could learn how to sand-yacht here.

Series 1 Episode 23 of 25

When can we see the episode

Great Coastal Railway Journeys: Port Talbot to Pembrey Burry Port airs Tuesday 19 September 2023 at 7.00pm on BBC Four

Featured Image Credit: BBC Four