Cotswolds and beyond, year 2.

 

Go Ahead Oxford Wright GB Kite BJ73 WXE.

Back in the Cotswolds and another dry and fine March week. A major and some minor changes: Pulham’s and Swanbrook now under Go Ahead ownership and some minor timetable changes resulting in later start to the days, as the 801 towards Cheltenham now departs Bourton-on-the-Water at 9.25am, five minutes before the travel pass kicks in. Good news for the 801 in the opposite direction, it is now extended beyond Moreton-in-Marsh to Chipping Norton, opening up new travel possibilities.

It is one of the new travel opportunities that was attractive on day 1. Departing Bourton on the 801 10.15am service and arriving into Chipping Norton at 11.05am aboard a Volvo B8RLE with MCV body. The 801 has now been re-routed to Pulham’s depot, situated on the industrial estate to the north of the town, facilitating a driver change. As on the previous visit, the timetable allows for a short layover in Stow-on-the-Wold market square. Tuesday is market day in Moreton-in-Marsh, causing severe traffic congestion in the town centre and by the time we reach the railway station we are four minutes down, but with a quick reversing manoeuvre in the station car park and no passengers to board or alight we are soon making up time. The extension to the 801 follows an almost direct route along the A44, the only diversion off is a left turn into Mosedale, a housing estate on the edge of Morton, for a 100 yards before using the turning circle and returning to the A44. The remainder of the journey is through pleasant, rolling Oxfordshire countryside before a final climb into Chipping Norton and the terminus just off the town square.

The next service departs from the opposite side of the road and is the Stagecoach service S3 Gold for Oxford departing at 11.48am and arriving into Oxford city centre at 12.48pm. The route is operated by Scania N230UD ADL Enviro400 double deckers still in Gold livery with the plush seating, although the interiors are starting to look a little tatty. We are soon back on the A44 climbing out of Chipping Norton and get far reaching views of the Oxfordshire countryside. For bus and coach interest, on the south side of Enstone village, there is a bus stop directly opposite Worth’s coach depot. Eventually, we arrive into Woodstock and pick up a large number of tourists at the bus stop nearest to Blenheim Palace. After which, it is a short diversion through the village of Yarnton, before the long slow drag into Oxford via the Woodstock Road. With just over two hours before the next bus, plenty of time to admire the influx of new electric buses, both single and double deckers being operated by Stagecoach and Go Ahead.

A stroll down to Gloucester Green coach station and time for the next bus. Departing from bay 8 at 2.50pm is Stagecoach S2 to Cheltenham via Witney, arriving into Cheltenham at 4.52pm. This time Stagecoach provide a more conventional ADL E40D MMC with slightly less comfortable seats for such a long journey. We start by retracing the inward journey along the Woodstock Road before turning onto the A40 and a very slow journey into Witney, a pleasant market town with many old buildings and a Stagecoach depot, where we wait whilst a driver change takes place and pleasantries are exchanged. The bus service leaves Witney in a southerly direction and enters the village of Curbridge before crossing the A40 to a large new housing development and then returning to the A40 on route to Burford. In Burford we pick up our last passengers, the residue of pupils from the large secondary school still loitering around an hour after the end of the school day. From here the service continues along the A40 with wonderful views from the top deck until the final diversion off into Northleach, a small quintessential Cotswolds village. Despite our bus having a clear destination blind, two people stopped the bus to ask if we were going to Cirencester. From here we return to the A40 travel through the suburbs of Cheltenham, arriving into Royal Well Bus Station on time.

 A stretch of the legs is called for, despite Pulham’s 801 service standing on the stop ready for the 5pm departure. This is an additional departure since Go Ahead acquired the business. We, however, will return to the bus station for the 5.30pm departure. A Mercedes Benz Citaro stands ready for our final ride of the day. Getting out of Cheltenham in the rush hour is a slow process, especially around the hospital and by the time we get onto the A40, retracing our route from the previous journey as far as Andoversford, we are already 12 minutes down. The run through Andoversford is quite lengthy, taking the old Gloucester Road before using a narrow lane to join the A436 and eventually rejoining the A40 heading back towards Cheltenham, then turning right for the final dose of scenery high in the Cotswold hills and dropping down into Bourton. Arriving at the same bus stop 8 hour 9 minutes after we departed.

After yesterday’s exertion, day two is more leisurely, starting at 10.25am in Bourton aboard Pulham’s 801 to Cheltenham. A beautiful clear morning to enjoy the view again, progress is swift, stopping to allow one passenger to alight at the Notgrove turning, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. No new passenger board until we reach the outskirts of Cheltenham, we finally alight at the General Hospital to enjoy a stroll in the park and a cup of coffee. It is a short walk from there to stop 9 on Clarence Street for Stagecoach service 41A to Tewkesbury. It is a slow crawl out of Cheltenham and we pass the previous 41, the driver exchanging details with a car driver, both examining the rear of the bus as they do so. As a consequence of the accident, we pick up several passengers, happy to take our driver’s advice about reaching their destination. We make good time once on the A38 dual-carriageway before turning off and visiting two new housing developments to the south-east of Tewkesbury. From there, it is a short journey into the town centre. The town sits at the confluence of the Avon and Severn rivers and has a beautiful Abbey built by the Normans. Plenty of time to take all this in and enjoy a good lunch before boarding the four times a day 351 Stagecoach service to Gloucester. This is the indirect service taking 62 minutes rather than the 30 minutes on the direct service. Departing at 2.35pm, this is the last service of the day, using many of the narrow lanes between the A38 and A471 the service takes in several of the small villages always with the backdrop of the Malvern Hills. Many of the lanes are single track and the mums on the school run seem content to reverse, obviously this is a daily occurrence. In the village of Staunton it is the turn of the bus to reverse, having entered a small housing estate and travelled a few hundred yards the bus reverses into a close which has its own bus shelter, and we return in the same direction back onto the main road for a short fast run until the next turn off by the BP petrol station. The village of Ashleworth is the next stop before yet another return to the A471 at Hartpury where three passengers board. The bus is now approaching Gloucester city centre, but not before one final turn off. This time into what appears to be the B&Q car park, it is however the entrance to a large retirement village and after driving though the car park to the main entrance, we execute the second reverse of the journey, returning through the car park and back onto the main road for one final time. From there it is a short journey through school traffic to the bus station. Just two bus journeys remain, the first is a take your pick, a 94 or X94 from Stagecoach or the 99 from Pulham’s. The first to arrive is a Gold livery decker on the X94 and we are soon away to Cheltenham, via the impressive GCHQ buildings. The final bus of the day is a surprise, an Optare Solo on Pulham’s 801 5pm departure, for another slow crawl through Cheltenham, just like yesterday.

Stagecoach YT21 DVO in Cheltenham.

For the third and final day we are back at the bus stop in Bourton for the 10.20am 801 towards Chipping Norton, this time alighting in Moreton-in-the-Marsh. The 801 is due to arrive at Morton Station at 10.45am, exactly the same time as the Stagecoach 2A to Stratford-upon-Avon is due to depart from the station. To gain a minute we jump off at Moreton Corn Exchange and dodge the traffic to cross the road to the opposite bus shelter ready for the 2A. This is an irregular service which along with the 2 serves many of the villages in this part of the north Cotswolds. The largest residential area is   Chipping Campden, a pretty town which provides the last two passengers before the large  new development of Meon Vale just south of Stratford where the final passenger of the journey boards. We arrive into Stratford on time at 11.52am. Attempting to leave the bus takes some effort, the bus stop being directly outside McDonalds where the world and his wife are queuing for lunch. Having an hour before our next bus we set off for a more tranquil spot. 12.58pm and back at the bus stop, this time without the crowds and we are waiting for the Stagecoach service 28 to Evesham which arrives six minutes late. A rather tattie AD E40D caters for a good loading, the local college having just turned out and we set off ten minutes late for the 1hr 7mins journey to Evesham. After the Cotswolds, the scenery is rather bland, consisting of flat farmland and small unremarkable villages. We alight at the rather grandly described Evesham Bus Station, which consist of two bus shelters in a layby and a number of the local undesirables occupying the seats whilst enjoying their tins of alcohol and smoking some unusual looking roll-ups. At 2.18pm a plain white Wrightbus Streetlite DF, with the driver enjoying a picnic spread out over the steering wheel, is waiting for our next departure: the 540 to  Tewkesbury. This being a service operated by Rotala Diamond there is a degree of scepticism as to whether it would run, as the company is not renowned for reliability or professionalism and our fears are justified when an attempt is made to start the bus. The click, click of the starter motor followed by some frantic pushing of the gear selector buttons doesn’t bode well. Eventually the bus is coaxed into life and with just three passengers on board we set off. As if to emphasize our concerns, the first bus we pass coming in the opposite direction is sitting forlornly at the side of the road, passengers looking into middle distance, with the driver standing on the pavement with his mobile phone in hand. Our bus takes an indirect route through several villages all with a backdrop of the Bredon Hills and we lose our other passenger in Ashton under Hill, leaving just the two of us to continue into Tewkesbury. The uncertain element of the day out of the way, it is time to relax, better still time for a cup of tea. The next bus can be any Stagecoach service heading for Cheltenham, which turns out to be a 41. From there, it is, for the final time, Pulham’s 801 back to Bourton.

For the second year in a row Bourton-on-the-Water has proved a great location for a bus trip short break and the Cotswolds were as beautiful as ever.

Pulham's GG73 BUS Volvo B7RLE with MCV body in Cheltenham.

ROTALA Diamond Bus Wright Streetlite DF in Evesham.

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Cotswolds and beyond.

 

Stagecoach Optare Solo OU13 DZF having departed the Burford terminus, climbs the hill to its first stop on route back to Witney. The driver about to be swamped by school children who walked down the hill to ensure a seat before the bus reaches the second stop opposite Burford school.   

Five dry days in March 2024: yes, they were surprisingly and nicely timed for a short break in the Cotswolds. Whilst it is feasible to travel from Winchester to Bourton-on-the-Water by public transport in a day, sadly a return on the same day is impossible as Stagecoach Hampshire insist that we are tucked up indoors by 5.30pm. However, travelling by car had its advantages, with the timing of the afternoon tea stop coinciding with the mass exodus of buses and coaches from Burford Secondary school at 3pm. 

 

 

 Go Ahead Pulham’s PUI 9493. A Volvo B9TL with East Lancs Myllennium CH63/39F body, new to Weavaway as OU05 AVY, takes the roundabout on the A40 at speed having just departed Burford school heading towards Witney. The Prince of Burford pub has a garden overlooking the roundabout, ideal to kill two birds with one stone.

For a small rural town with a population of 4,178, Bourton-on-the Water has a remarkably good bus service network - thanks to Pulham’s Travel who have been based in the town since 1860 and operate all the services apart from one community route. The timetables can appear random as many are designed to fit around schools’ work. Nevertheless, residents and visitors alike seem content with the timetable anomalies and services are heavily utilised even during the quiet off-season. On all three days of travel the day started at 10am when three route converge on Bourton and depart for Cheltenham, Cirencester and Kingham.

Day one started by boarding Pulham’s Optare Solo’s working service 855 to Cirencester. This is the second and last departure of the day, the first departure being at 7am for an extended school route beyond Cirencester to Fairford. The 855 is an indirect route of 55 minutes taking in many scenic villages including Arlington, that, even though it is only 10.37am, is already full of overseas visitors alighting from coaches operated by several London companies. Apparently, the popularity of Arlington is due to a visit made by Emperor Hirohito during his state visit to Britain. The bus finally arrives into Cirencester at 10.52am. The bus remains in Cirencester undertaking local short workings of the 855 until the return school run mid-afternoon, whilst we head off for a look around Cirencester and a cup of tea after photographing a Cotswold Green decker operating a town service to and from the hospital. For the next leg of the journey there is some flexibility as Stagecoach service 51 from Swindon to Cheltenham operates hourly. The 12.15pm departure arrives on time and despite coming in well loaded and a reasonable load waiting to board, we still managed to secure the top deck front seats of the Alexander bodied Scania for a very pleasant journey along the A435 which parallels the River Churn and arrive into Cheltenham 40 minutes later. Plenty of time for lunch and an hour at the bus/coach station and on The Promenade, where all except one Stagecoach service terminate, before boarding Pulham’s Mercedes Benz Citaro for the 4.30pm service 801 back to Bourton.  

Cotswold Green LJ04 LFX a VDL DB250 with Wright body still in Compass Travel livery laying over in Cirencester between journeys on service 58 the Hospital Circular.

 

Day two and another Pulham’s Optare Solo, this time on route 802 to Kingham Railway Station via The Rissingtons and Stow-on-the-Wold. This is a round trip to enjoy the typical Cotswold villages and scenery: the route designed to feed passengers into the Great Western train service between London Paddington and Hereford. The first service of the day departs Bourton at 5.30am and the last journey back arrives at 7.35pm. We depart a little after 10am with two other passengers on board and pick up no other passengers along the entire route. Our two other intrepid passengers alight in Stow and we arrive at Kingham station 43 minutes after departure. We hop off on the station forecourt and wait whilst the driver has his five-minute layover at the far end of the station car park. Reboarding, the bus follows the same route back to Stow before using different narrow lanes to reach Upper Rissington where a mother and son board, both known to the driver as there appears to be no fare collection made. The final leg of the journey back into Bourton differs from the outward leg going via Little Rissington, a village that clings to the side of a steep valley dissected by a narrow, twisting road and we arrive back into Bourton at 11.27am. Time to nip back to the accommodation, located next to the car museum, for a mid-morning coffee before heading out again. By 12.20pm we are back at the bus stop, this time heading north on the 801 for the 30-minute journey to Moreton-in-the-Marsh via Stow and lunch in the pub. A little over an hour later we are back waiting for the 801 and a 10-minute journey back to Stow aboard one of Pulham’s Mercedes Benz Citaro’s. Stow is a lovely little village spoilt by the busy A429 running through it. The buses enter the main village square and compete with cars for parking/layover space, made more interesting when the buses in each direction meet in the square. Plenty of time for a stroll down through the village to the coach park located at the rear of the main car park, before boarding yet another Citaro on the 801 and returning to Bourton.

Pulham’s Optare Solo YJ14 BWH at Kingham, Railway Station on service 802 from Bourton-on-the-Water. Kingham station is on the Great Western line between London Paddington and Hereford with one stopping service per hour. Route 802 serves the station seven times a day with the first arrival at 6.13am and final departure at 7.25pm. The 802 runs a varying route throughout the day, covering many of the smaller villages between Bourton and Kingham. 

 

Pulham’s VO17 EOB (L99 NHS), Mercedes-Benz Citaro O295. Photographed in Stow-on-the-Wold waiting time, having arrived from Chipping Norton and on route to Cheltenham. Since the visit in March 2024 the rather erratic timetable has now been given an even hourly headway and a Sunday service has been introduced.

Day three and it’s time once again to board the 801. This time heading towards Cheltenham along the A436 affording great views of the rolling Cotswold hills. The bus turns left onto the A40, heading away from Cheltenham, turning next right for a tour of Andoversford then rejoining the A40, this time heading in the right direction for Cheltenham. Before reaching Cheltenham coach station the 801 takes an indirect route to call at, on the right Cheltenham General Hospital, with its grand portico entrance, and on the left the equally imposing grounds and buildings of Cheltenham College. A short but swift bit of exercise from the coach station, around the corner to the Promenade where Stagecoach local services depart and immediately board Stagecoach Gold 94 for Gloucester via Gloucestershire Airport. Entering Gloucester passed the Stagecoach depot (Tram shed) and into the newish transport hub interchange with 30 minutes before the next bus, so time for a tea. The café within the hub has closed requiring a quick walk along Clarence Street, where all Stagecoach local services layover and enter the time warp that is Poppins with its formica covered tables and plastic seats. The cafe appears to act as the Stagecoach canteen and serves a cup of tea that is so weak it is a wonder it had the strength to leave the cup. 

Pulham’s DD23 BUS Volvo B8RLE, MCV Evora in Bourton-on-the Water about to depart on the 10am service 801 to Cheltenham.

 

Back at the hub a Stagecoach Scania with AD body stands ready to transport us on a tour of the Forest of Dean. Route 22 follows the River Severn before taking an anti-clockwise route through the Forest of Dean, via Littledean and Cinderford to Coleford. The route must be one of the most tortuous for a double-decker in England with the double S bend of Church Hill into the village of Upper Lydbrook being the most dramatic of all, but the Scania makes light of the terrain. Cinderford has a small bus station with two single-deckers, one Stagecoach and one from Willetts Coaches, and another Stagecoach double-decker already in situ when we arrive, necessitating some nifty manoeuvring on our driver’s part. Leaving Cinderford we pick up several shoppers and many students from the local college, all of whom remain on the bus whilst it lays over for a few minutes in Coleford before becoming the 23. We leave the bus and seek lunch with 60 minutes before the next 22 arrives and becomes the 23 that we will catch. Another Scania arrives and despite most of the passengers remaining on board we manage to bag the front seats on the top deck and the 23 continues our anti-clockwise tour of the Forest. Edging ever closer to the Welsh border, the next largish settlement is Bream followed by Whitecroft where we cross over the tracks of the preserved Dean Forest Railway. We follow the railway tracks and river Lyd south for some distance, arrive into Lydney and what remains of the bus station. After a short lay over, it is just a short distance to the A48 and we turn left and follow the River Severn back to Gloucester.

Go Ahead Pulham’s M99 NHS (OX68 BSC) a Wright StreetDeck HEV originally with Oxford Bus. The livery is for service 99 between Gloucester and Cheltenham serving Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucester Royal Hospital Monday to Friday from 6am until 8pm.

From Gloucester, the route back to Cheltenham is aboard a former City of Oxford Wright Streetdeck HEV belonging to Pulham’s and used on route 99 NHS. From the transport hub the service calls at Gloucester Royal Hospital where there is a long queue of passengers, most of whom want this bus and we depart with a full load. Almost immediately the bus comes to a standstill as traffic builds up waiting for the level crossing gates to open. Once clear of the city, it is a straight run along the A40 dual-carriageway although the steady incline almost defeats our bus, but we make it over the motorway junction and into Arle Court Park & Ride, where the majority of passengers alight. The remainder of the passengers alight at Cheltenham General Hospital leaving just us to alight at the coach station. Just six strides across the pavement and a twenty-minute wait, it is back on the 801 and retracing that morning’s first trip. However, a lorry blocking the single-track lane in Andoversford whilst loading a tractor caused the arrival into Bourton to be twenty-five minutes late. The pub was open, the journeys over, time to take stock: tomorrow it’s back to the car.          

Warning, this article refers to journeys made in March 2024. Since then, Go Ahead Group have made changes to Pulham’s timetables, including more regular headways and increased days of operation. 

YT21 DVG, Scania N250UD, Alexander Dennis H43/28F body in route 10 livery about to depart Cheltenham. Route 10 operates between Cheltenham and Lower Tuffley via Gloucester on a 15-minute headway during the day and 30 minutes off peak Monday to Saturday, and every 20 minutes on Sunday. In addition to the 10, Stagecoach operate another five routes between Cheltenham and Gloucester.

 

Stagecoach Alexander Dennis E30D, PO12 HTC operates a city service in Gloucester, wearing a commemorative Gloucester Corporation heritage livery.

Cinderford Bus Station, Stagecoach and Willetts Coaches block the two bays whilst two Stagecoach double-deckers add to the congestion by attempting to manoeuvre around them.

Mid-morning line up at Pulham’s Bourton-on-the-Water depot.

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