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Michael Portillo crosses the Severn Estuary to begin a new railway journey along the south coast of Wales. Eschewing the train through the 19th-century Severn Tunnel, he joins maintenance workers on a hair-raising secret railway high above the estuary. The Rapid Access Train clings to the underbelly of the Prince of Wales Bridge, which carries the M4 motorway into Wales. The engineering is magnificent, and the views are spectacular.

From Newport, Michael makes for Caerleon, where he finds the most complete Roman amphitheatre remaining in Britain. Michael learns how the Romans used the arena and discovers how Caerleon's Roman history was eclipsed by the legend of King Arthur and his round table.

Reaching the capital, Cardiff, Michael admires the regeneration of Cardiff Bay and enjoys Welsh cakes before striking inland to Llanhilleth and the valleys that once provided a third of the world鈥檚 coal. The pits are now long gone, and in Six Bells, once the scene of a mining disaster, Michael is fascinated to learn how the area is being regenerated. Red paint is being manufactured here from sludge, which is a by-product of mine water treatment. Michael watches as the town is painted red.