Michael Portillo takes a great railway journey at Exbury.

Media personality and railway enthusiast Michael Portillo spoke this week of the ‘magnificent achievements’ of the Rothschild family in building not only a beautiful garden, but also a steam railway that was the result of a great vision, commitment and patience.

Mr Portillo, who presents the BBC TV programme Great British Railway Journeys, came to Exbury Gardens in the New Forest on Sunday to open a new walk-through exhibition showing how the Exbury Garden Railway was built. He donned a peaked railwayman’s cap and tooted a railway whistle to declare the exhibition open.

“The pleasure of seeing Exbury Gardens, with all their light and colour is heightened by the railway and by this exhibition,” said Mr Portillo, who paid a tribute to Leopold de Rothschild, the motive force behind the garden railway.

The exhibition, in Exbury’s roomy engine shed, shows, using video and interpretation panels, the brainchild and dream of Mr Leopold de Rothschild, whose father, Lionel, bought the Exbury Estate in 1919. The exhibition also features early railway posters and memorabilia collected by Mr Leo, and will later expand to include some hands-on, interactive elements for children.

Mr Leo confessed that he was never allowed a proper electric railway set as a child and he told guests at Sunday’s opening that if the building of the railway had been a ‘colossal ego trip’ on his part it had also been a necessary attraction to bring younger visitors into the Gardens.  “It may enable young visitors to see their first steam engines and help them catch the virus that affects all people who fall in love with this type of railway,” he said.

This is the first time that the Exbury Engine Shed has been open to visitors, who will be able to enjoy the roomy and light interior as part of a Gardens visit. The exhibition will be open on all Garden open days.