Scarborough, Bridlington and Whitby to feature on BBC's Great Coastal Railway Journeys

In an episode to be broadcast on Tuesday May 30, broadcaster and former politician Michael Portillo explores Whitby’s shipbuilding and seafaring heritage.

In Grosmont, he boards the first steam locomotive built in Britain since the 1960s.

In the vast open landscape of the North York Moors, Portillo – who was also a Minister of State for Transport – discovers one of the most powerful military radars in the world at RAF Fylingdales, where tension rises as the team suspect a missile launch.

Robin Hood’s Bay’s murky past as a smuggling haven leads Portillo down a dark tunnel to discover how contraband gin, brandy and tea was landed and why the illicit trade flourished in the 18th Century.

The episode is on BBC Two at 6.30pm.

The following day, you can see Portillo in Scarborough to explore one of the greatest royal fortresses in England, before heading to the beautiful neo-classical Rotunda Museum, one of the world’s first purpose-built museums.

At Bempton Cliffs in the East Riding, he join forces with Humberside Police in an unusual patrol vehicle.

And in Bridlington, he visits the Yorkshire Marine Research Centre to find out how they aim to keep stocks of the crustaceans healthy.

The episode is on BBC Two on Wednesday May 31, at 6.30pm.

The series follows the format of Great British Railway Journeys, with each episode featuring a coastal railway journey through England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland.