BIRD'S EYE VIEWS OF ICONIC STEAM TRIPS WITH STAR

Take a memorable journey back in time to the golden age of steam with actor Hugh Bonneville along for the ride.

- BY NICOLA METHVEN

The Downton Abbey star narrates four-part series Great British Train Journeys From Above, in which drones follow the engines from the skies.

It covers Scotland's Jacobite Railway, The Ffestiniog Railway in Wales, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the West Somerset Railway.

Hugh, 61, has long been a fan of steam trains and is a patron of the Heritage Railway Association so was an ideal choice for the Channel 4 show to celebrate 200 years of train travel.

He says: "Narrating Great British Train Journeys From Above has been a great joy, being able to offer a fresh perspective on the remarkable history that shaped this nation, and to enjoy our country's glorious landscapes.

"This series is a front-row seat to the magic of steam travel, from a few hundred feet in the air."

One of the star's best-known roles is as the Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey. The ITV drama is set in the early 20th century when steam trains were the primary mode of long-distance travel for the upper class.

The opening scenes actually feature a steam train, which was filmed on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, near where the fictional estate lies.