All Over Lancashire, and Beyond
25 August 2024
ABOVE: Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire 11631 (YX23 OVC), an ADL Enviro400 MMC, approaches Chorley Bus Station on an early-evening working on route 125 from Bolton to the Royal Preston Hospital. The top of St George's Parish Church - built by Thomas Rickman, a Gothic Revival architect - can be seen in the background. All photos in this article were taken on Monday 1 July 2024, unless otherwise stated.
I've come to stay in Blackburn for a few days. I've told everyone that I'm staying in Lancashire, but techically, Blackburn is in a separate unitary authority (Blackburn with Darwen), surrounded on north, east and west by Lancashire-proper. I use the word "proper" loosely. I feel like I'm in Lancashire, and I'm sure many of the residents do as well.
A former mill town, the most rapid period of growth and development in Blackburn's history coincided with the industrialisation and expansion of textile manufacturing. Wikipedia tells us that textiles have been produced in Blackburn since the middle of the 13th century, developed into the woollen cottage industry by Flemish weavers who settled in the area in the 14th century.
My aim, as always, is to explore the region. This particular holiday seems to be resulting in a number of long days out on the buses, taking advantage of the light evenings.
On this particular Monday morning, it's a little damp as I arrive at the modern Bus Station (built in 2016) to catch the number 22 bus on the "Valleyline" to Clitheroe. This is a basically half-hourly service on weekdays, but there's a 40-minute gap before my 0825 departure (and the 0745 continues to Clitheroe Royal Grammar School, so may be best avoided if I want a quiet run)!
The service is provided by the Blackburn Bus Company, one of a series of Transdev bus companies across Lancashire and Yorkshire. And the bus that turns up is a Volvo B10BLE Wright Renown from the year 2000.
ABOVE: There's a slightly retro feel to the seats on 1063 (B10 YKT), a Volvo B10BLE Wright Renown, seen here in Blackburn Bus Station
These buses, in production between 1997 & 2002, were the first to use Wright's "Floline" low-floor system, which reduced the number of steps within the saloon to just one, unlike previous designs which had several steps through the vehicle.
Now, in 2024, these buses are being withdrawn after "over 25 years of service". It sounds like I have missed some sort of farewell "event" for these buses, held a week or so before, but the bus is still operating, and is going to take me to Clitheroe.
There is a slightly retro feel to the bus as I sit down. There's no assault screen, and the indicators, when deployed, have that once very familiar "cheep-cheep" sound accompanying them that one doesn't hear on modern buses. Although carrying a B-reg (B10 YKT), the bus was originally registered X573 YUG. X-reg prefixes were allocated between late 2000 and early 2001, so whether I am travelling on a 20th Century bus - a rarity in 2024 by any measure - depends on your point of view as to whether the new Millennium started in 2000 or 2001! Let's just say it's an old bus!
But it doesn't feel old. It's a very smooth run, the bus is clean and has a smart modern livery, and some USB Charging points have been fitted.
Progress out of Blackburn is quite slow - the School Run is in full steam and we're held up on a couple of occasions because of the number of cars parked along the main carriageways.
We pass the magnificent Whalley Viaduct, built between 1846 & 1850 and taking the Blackburn to Clitheroe railway line across the valley of the River Calder. At over 600 yards long, and 70 feet above the valley, there are over six million bricks in the structure.
ABOVE: Whalley Viaduct
Progress is particularly slow through Whalley and we arrive into Clitheroe five minutes behind schedule, at 0912. I say my own farewell to the Wright Renown here, but, if you want to ride one, you may not have lost your chance... Both B10 YKT and fellow Renown 1103 (PN02 HVK) - the last two in the Blackburn fleet as far as I can tell, are still in service as I write this (and Transdev still seems to have others in its other companies).
ABOVE: Volvo B10BLE Wright Renown 1063 (B10 YKT, formerly X573 YUG) at Clitheroe Interchange. Note the commemorative display, alternating with the normal service information.
Clitheroe was the birthplace of Jimmy Clitheroe (1921-1973), an entertainer who never grew above 4' 2" in height, and created a comedy character based on an 11-year-old boy, which he performed on stage, in films, on radio and television. His BBC radio show, "The Clitheroe Kid", ran for 16 years from 1956, and Clitheroe always wore a schoolboy blazer and cap to the recordings.
One of the frequent plotlines of "The Clitheroe Kid" was that of Jimmy's money-making schemes, to finance trips to the sweet shop. One wonders what he would have made of my intended next bus... My plan from here is to catch route 15, operated by Holmeswood Coaches. This is an hourly service to Accrington using Optare Solos. It looks like a scenic drive through the Lancashire countryside.
But the bus is completely plastered in contravision - side and back. It might make some money for the operator, but it shows zero consideration for the customers. I'm not going to be able to see any of the scenery, so I skip the ride.
Later observations show that this isn't the only Holmeswood vehicle to be covered in contravision, so perhaps I won't bother with this operator in my future planning.
How to lose customers. Hope it was worth the advertising fee...
ABOVE: "What if you... face new challenges / try something different...", as it says on the side of the bus? How about a bus that you can't see out of? What if Holmeswood Coaches 23 (YJ65 EVF), an Optare Solo SR, hadn't been plastered in contravision? Would it have been a memorable ride? We shall never know. The bus is on stand at Clitheroe Interchange, before forming the 0925 departure on route 15 to Accrington
Having lost my ride to Accrington, I board the M2 "Mainline" service to Burnley. Another Transdev service, operated by the Burnley Bus Company, this runs via Padiham using full-length Optare Versas. There are next stop displays and announcements although the latter are barely audible. The bus is on stand well ahead of its scheduled 0932 departure, but a Freedom Pass holder has to wait on the pavement until 0930 before she can board and touch in.
We're in the foothills of Pendle Hill as we traverse through Padiham and into Burnley. The trials of the Pendle Witches in 1612 are amongst the most famous witch trials in history. The accused witches lived in the area around Pendle Hill, in an area that was, in the 16th Century, regarded by the authorities as a wild and lawless region: an area "fabled for its theft and violence".
Burnley Bus Station is perhaps a little quieter than I am used to seeing when I arrive at 1024.
ABOVE: Various buses line up at Burnley Bus Station. From left: Burnley Bus Company 157 (YJ17 FVA), an Optare Solo SR on a town circular service; Vision Bus 1049 (SN66 WJY), an ADL Enviro200 MMC, also on a town circular; 154 (YJ67 FZE), a fellow Burnley Bus Company Optare Solo SR on route 5 (Harle Syke to Rosegrove), then a stray double-decker on Transdev Rosso route 483 to Bury and, after another single-decker bus, one of The Burnley Bus Company's hi-spec ADL Enviro400 MMCs on the X43 "Witchway" service to Manchester.
After some refreshment, I am aiming for another "Mainline" service, the M4 to Keighley, over the border in West Yorkshire. The bus is due out at 1110, but roadworks right outside the Bus Station are causing havoc to the timetables and the bus actually comes in at this time. There's a change of driver, and also a moment for the cleaner that Transdev employs here to sweep through the bus. The new driver takes time to settle, and won't allow boarding to start until his seat position is absolutely right and his mirrors are correctly set. We're 10 minutes late pulling out, and lose more time at the temporary traffic lights nearby.
ABOVE: Burnley Bus Company 249 (YJ17 FWM), an Optare Versa, heads along the Colne Road, on the outskirts of Burnley, on "Mainline" route M3 from Trawden
There are four "Mainline" routes (M3 to Trawden, M4 to Keighley, M5 to Barnoldswick and M6 to Skipton) following a common routing here, and offering a theoretical 10-minute frequency to Nelson and Colne. We run in tandem with the 1120 departure on route M6 as far as Colne.
We pass the village of Laneshawbridge (or Laneshaw Bridge), described as the "easternmost settlement in Lancashire on the main road route" (my emphasis, as the village of Wycoller is further east, but not on the main road). A couple of miles later, we cross briefly into North Yorkshire, before crossing another border into West Yorkshire.
ABOVE: This old mill stands near the junction of Keighley Road and Skipton Road, just beyond Cross Hills in North Yorkshire
We fail to make up the lost time and arrive into Keighley Bus Station, 11 minutes late, at 1247.
ABOVE: Keighley Bus Company 53 (LN18 EWE) is a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Mellor Strata. It is seen here leaving Keighley Bus Station on town circular service K6.
A couple of 'repeats' for me next. Route 66 to Skipton is always a lovely ride. Broadly half in West Yorkshire and half in North, it passes the picturesque village of Sutton-in-Craven, North Yorkshire. Every time I pass through the place (and there have been a few trips), I try to get a decent photo. Every time, I fail. On this occasion, it's the weather letting things down - it's now raining rather heavily.
It's only a short run on the 66 (35 minutes), on a Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 from the Keighley Bus Company, another part of the extensive Transdev operation in these parts.
I have a quick wander round Skipton. The spartan bus station is very busy, but it doesn't look as though the people there want my next bus, the 280 towards Preston, as only three of us initially venture towards it when it appears. Some of those here might just be sheltering from the rain, of course!
The 280, run by Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire, is a now-rarer ADL/TransBus Enviro300. It's very comfortable, and very smooth. I'm heading back to Clitheroe; a journey of about 55 minutes. Whilst the drive is through very attractive open countryside for a lot of the way, there's little around for me to remark on. The 280 itself is a long route - the full run from Skipton to Preston will take just four minutes shy of two hours.
ABOVE: Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire 27291 (SN65 OEK), an ADL/TransBus Enviro300, at Clitheroe Interchange, halfway through its long run from Skipton to Preston.
I could head back to Blackburn now, but I'm not really done! Instead, I catch route 5 to Longridge. This is an Optare Solo SR operated by Pilkington Bus, a local, family-run bus company. It's the 1558 departure, so several schoolchildren are in evidence. They're not unruly, though, although four or five of them do start a perfectly decent discussion about how to tackle an assignment that they all have to complete!
ABOVE: Pilkington Bus 1 (PK16 BUS), an Optare Solo SR, in Berry Lane, Longridge, on a run on route 5 from Clitheroe to Chipping (a village four miles to the north of Longridge)
We're deep in the Lancashire countryside here, well off the beaten track. Somewhere outside Ribchester, the driver brings the bus to a halt at a bus stop that seems to be miles from anywhere, and calls to a schoolgirl who is fast asleep at the front of the bus: "Isn't this your stop," he asks? The girl wakes up and realises that he might be right! She's too dazed to say thank you to the driver as she alights; full marks to the driver, though, who has shown some excellent customer service here!
We reach Longridge at 1647. The bus continues north to the village of Chipping. I decide not to do this last part of the journey, but look at the lovely church that I would have discovered if I had stayed on the bus! This is St Bartholomew's Parish Church.
Highbrow Culture spot: Composer Ernest Tomlinson MBE (1924-2015) lived near Longridge in his later years. He was especially known for his orchestral light / folk music pieces, often incorporating traditional English tunes ("Dick's Maggot", from "The First Suite of English Folk Dances", is a jolly piece that used to be played on Classic FM regularly, but I haven't heard it for a long time now).
Ernest Tomlinson also founded The Library of Light Orchestral Music in a barn near his family's farmhouse, when he discovered that the BBC was disposing of its light music archive. Today, the Library (no longer in a barn!) holds some 40,000 pieces. The folk music style he portrays in his music puts me in mind of The Two Ronnies' country dance scene, "Bold Sir John", but that was performed by Ernest's brother, Fred!
It's nice to see some "Where to catch your bus" posters in stops in Longridge. Judging by the accompanying map, it looks like this town has a complicated road layout with not all buses serving the same stops or even the same roads.
ABOVE: Berry Lane in Longridge, with an enlarged version of the "where to catch your bus" poster on the right
Not a problem for me, as my next bus leaves from the stop I have just been dropped off at. I'm catching route 1 into Preston. This is another Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire service, operated mainly with Scania-chassis ADL Enviro400s. The rain is setting in again as we head towards the busy city...
ABOVE: Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire 15238 (YN65 XEO), a Scania N230UD ADL Enviro400, on the outskirts of Preston. The bus is branded for route 125 (Preston to Bolton) which has recently received a new fleet of vehicles.
I'm into Preston now and, at 1800hours, I really ought to be heading back to my hotel in Blackburn. There are three bus routes that link Preston with Blackburn, Preston Bus 45, Stagecoach 59 and Transdev 152. Which shall I take?
I break for some food and then board route...
...125 towards Bolton. This is the 1835 departure, and it's going to be an hour and 42 minutes across the Lancashire countryside and into Greater Manchester. As I settle into my front seat, a young man gets into the other front seat, kicks off his shoes and manages to spread himself out so that he is lying across the seat with his legs (and smelly feet!) right up to the centre of the window. Fortunately the smell eases after a little while - just as well as he goes right through to Bolton.
It's a busy route. Some buses, including this one, start / finish at the Royal Preston Hospital, which means that the bus has already has a 25 minute journey into Preston before the 'main' part of the run begins.
We pass through Chorley Interchange, where we sit for several minutes whilst a driver-change takes place. The scheduled time is five minutes but I think we're here for nearer ten.
Those who were present when the bus pulled in were let on by the original driver, but the later arrivals have to wait for the new driver to set up. When the new driver opens the doors, no-one reacts - they all have their noses in their mobile phones - so he toots his horn to wake everyone up!
North of Horwich, we pass the Lower Rivington Reservoir, which looks stunning, even on a cloudy day:
The scenery on this part of the route is delightful:
Gradually, the countryside starts to make way for the environs of Bolton.
ABOVE: One of route 125's new ADL Enviro400 MMCs passes an old factory on the Chorley Old Road, north-west of Bolton Town Centre
We reach Bolton Interchange on time, at 2013. I am delighted to find not only that the essential facilities are still open, but that the Gregg's outlet within the Interchange is still available as well!
ABOVE: Inside Bolton Interchange
Now I really do have to head for home. The 2045 departure of route 1, of the Blackburn Bus Company, will take me back to Blackburn, via Darwen, in around 50 minutes. The route is operated by ADL Enviro200 MMCs in a dedicated livery.
ABOVE: On Saturday 29 June 2024, Blackburn Bus Company 504 (YX69 NTD), an ADL Enviro200 MMC, passes Blackburn railway station (out of sight to the left) on its way to the Bus Station, on route 1 from Bolton and Darwen
It's a busy run, with steady churn most of the way. My notes suggest that the bells stop working towards the end of the journey, with passengers having to just call to the driver to stop.
It's quieter by the time I get back to the Bus Station - just a handful have stayed to the last stop. I step off the bus at 2135, some 13 hours and 10 minutes after I started out on route 22.
It's probably the most intensive day I have ever done on the buses - nine rides, about eight-and-a-half hours actually on the buses, and an estimated 150 miles covered!
I head back to the hotel (only two minutes away) and straight to bed!
BELOW: An approximation of the routes covered in this article
