蜜芽传媒

Michael Portillo鈥檚 railway tour of the Weald reaches the spectacular Surrey countryside, where he finds a surprising connection to the darker reaches of the universe.

In a sprawling Victorian mansion south of Gomshall is the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, where 200 scientists and engineers design and build space hardware. Michael gets to play with a model Rover that will explore the surface of Mars as part of a European Space Agency project.

From Dorking, Michael follows in the footsteps of Victorian ramblers who used the railway to reach the countryside, guidebooks in hand. He hears about the author of one guide, who called himself Walker Miles, and discovers Rail to Ramble is again encouraging hikers to visit the Surrey Hills by rail. He joins a group of adults with a range of disabilities, who help to maintain the pathways. At Lingfield, Michael marvels at the rich wildlife native to Britain, including polecats, otters, badgers, and a European eagle owl named Ethel.