It is generally accepted that when you drive around Northern Ireland, at some stage, you will unknowingly cross the border into the Irish Republic. Usually, the first signs that you have done so are the petrol stations displaying prices in Euros: zig-zagging to and fro the two countries is just part of the day out. UK devolution has in a minor way brought about a similar situation on the mainland, although, until the outbreak of Covid 19, it has never been an issue or entered people’s consciousness. However, if you are near the English/mid-Welsh border, you may move in and out of each country whilst travelling along one road and the only indication that something might have changed is the language on the road signs. Covid 19 and 2020 have brought the devolution issue into focus with each devolved power setting its own regulations and differing travel restrictions
In 2020, whilst travelling along the Shropshire/Powys border, a new road sign said “Welsh covid rules apply on the right” - does that mean a driver needs to don a face mask before overtaking the car in front? That road sign set me thinking. How are operators along the meandering mid-Wales/Shropshire/Herefordshire border coping? If people look at a map of the area and think the border is reasonably straight, they are looking at the Offa’s Dyke long distance footpath and not the convoluted national border which weaves its way east/west on the way from south to north. I have no answers to the operator question and I made no effort to engage with any depot staff to find one. I might have been travelling around but social distancing remained a priority, and the car was a safe haven. However, I thought it would be interesting to examine the issue from the comfort of my study/armchair.
Starting in the south with Sargeants Coaches of Kington, Herefordshire, in the eighteen months since my last visit, this fleet has undergone a major change. Out have gone several of the older coaches along with the Optare Excels and Tempos, and in have come newer Optare products, including a small batch of Metrocities - of the 20 vehicles 17 are buses. The town of Kington lies 3km east of the Welsh border with Sargeants being the only provider of bus services. Their primary service being the 461/462, Hereford-Kington-Llandrindod Wells, crossing the border just west of Kington. Whilst the focus is very much on Hereford, it being the only major conurbation for many miles around, Llandrindod Wells does offer a major interchange point for onward travel in Mid-Wales. The other core route for the company is the 41, operating two hourly between Kington and Knucklas, crossing the border at Presteigne. Apart from the first six kilometres, the majority of this service is on the Welsh side of the border, serving the two large Welsh communities of Presteigne and Knighton. Lady Hawkins is a large secondary school in Kington, with a wide catchment area, and Sargeants operate eight timetabled services into the school, six of which cross the border with service number 43 starting in England before continuing across the border, completing a long circular route and returning via a different border crossing point. These services must have been a nightmare in 2020 with both sides of the border having different school and community lockdowns.
The town of Presteigne with a population of 2,710 sits on a small outcrop of border just 1km wide that pokes into England. Apart from the aforementioned Sergeants bus service, the town also has a Monday only X11, Builth Wells-Ludlow cross border service operated by Celtic Travel. The town also has a secondary school attracting pupils from the surrounding rural area with two of the featured operators, Weale's Wheels of Llanddewi and Owens of Knighton providing services.
Weale's Wheels of Llanddewi has a depot in the heart of this small village from which it operates a fleet of fifteen coaches and minibuses of varying ages, the most modern being a Mercedes Benz Tourismo. The majority of contracts are centred along the A483/A44 corridor.
Moving north to Knighton - a town that both sits on the border which more-or-less follows the river Teme at this point, and on the Offa’s Dyke trail. As previously mentioned, the town has a regular bus service provided by Sargeants, and it also has a Monday X11 service provided by Celtic Travel. Additionally, Arriva operate the 738/740 four days a week to Ludlow, meaning all routes serving the town originate in Wales and terminate in England. The town is home to Owens Motors, a fourth-generation family business tracing their history back to 1897 and currently operate a mixed fleet of twelve vehicles. The company is in a unique situation having an operator’s licence with a legal address in Wales whilst the depot is situated in England just a few yards up the road.
Staying on the English side of the border, heading north to the small Shropshire village of Newcastle, home to the depot of M&J Travel with a mixed fleet of twelve coaches. This is a typical coach operator offering private hire, UK holidays and school contracts on both sides of the border. The fleet is smart and always well presented. Quite how this company find their drivers when the number of houses in the village is almost identical to fleet size and there is no nearby sizeable town, on either side of the border, is a mystery.
If I had to define one operator at the centre of this article it would be Celtic Travel of Llanidloes, a town in the middle of Wales. The company is one of the largest independent coach/bus operators in mid Wales and currently operates 30+ vehicles of varying sizes, including TRN 662A, new to Barrow Corporation as CEO 952, and a 1958 Leyland PD2/Park Royal acquired from Mac Tours and still in their colours. It has two depots - one in the centre of Llanidloes and a larger maintenance depot on an industrial site south of the town. Nine bus services are currently operated including Traws Cymru X75 (Shrewsbury/Rhaeadr), however most originate around Builth Wells/Llandrindod Wells and extend north to Shrewsbury, west to Aberystwyth, east to Ludlow and Hereford, and south to Carmarthen. Whilst the coach operations cover an area boarded by Aberystwyth/Welshpool/Machynlleth/Brecon/M4 Magor services.
Moving on north and crossing the border, just one mile back into England, is the depot of Minsterley Motors which is in the middle of nowhere at Pennerley. Another mixed bus/coach fleet of 30+ vehicles established for more than 50 years. Seven local bus services are operated, centred around Shrewsbury and Ludlow with one route extending across the border to Newtown, Powys. At this point the border takes a turn west and south before abruptly reversing direction and once again heading north. Here just inside the Welsh border we have Tanat Valley with two depots, half-a-mile apart, along the valley road leading to Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant.
Established in 1920 and still owned by the same family, Tanat Valley currently operate a mixed fleet of 44 vehicles, consisting of Optare products for the bus operations and DAF/Volvo/Mercedes for the coach fleet. Pride of the fleet is a 1962 Leyland Tiger Cub (YRC 194) with Alexander DP41F body, new in 1962 to Trent. This operator, probably more than any other independent along the English/Welsh border, makes its living equally from both countries. Oswestry, Shropshire being the nearest town is a focal point for many of the nine bus services currently operated including the Traws Cymru T12 to Machynlleth.
North of Oswestry, it becomes primarily old Crosville territory and Arriva Midlands North crosses into Wales with the hourly 2 to Wrexham and finally reaches the northern limit of the Welsh border at Chester with the now much reduced, hourly Arriva Wales 1. Wrexham became a hot-bed of competition after deregulation with companies such as Wrights becoming a major provider for a short while. In more recent times GHA and D. Jones both made short lived incursions into the tendered service network, and both defeated by poor fiscal management and run-ins with the Traffic Commissioner. Today Pats Coaches is the only independent operator offering a cross border service, with the 146 to Whitchurch, a small market town just one mile into England.
This article is not the time for reviewing services from Chester, despite the city boundary being on the border. After the breakup of Crosville and deregulation, many smaller operators came and went. Today only one independent survives on services into Wales with the majority of routes being part of the Arriva Wales network.
The 160 miles of the Anglo-Welsh border is a convoluted route. No one setting the boundary line in 1536 could have foreseen the two nations once again separating under devolution, but if Covid 19 continues, we might need to remember our passports when next boarding a bus.
