We have been enjoying a bus ride between Northampton and Towcester, not using the traditional main road route (89) or the newer service via Swan Valley Industry and the later super-duper A34 (route 88); but on tendered service 87 operated by Country Lion.
We have already looped via Pattishall (last Friday) and Fosters Booth, but just before this wiggle, the map shows Eastcote; but just before that Cote is Dalscote ...
... a blink and you'll miss it community.
Wikipedia has very little to say ...
There is a car-body repair workshop there but no other amenities.
... so we move on to Eastcote.
In this part of the county, Northamptonshire's well-known golden sandstone gives way to a lighter limestone, equally pleasant to the eye. Just beyond Fosters Booth and across the A5 is Grimscote, but we turn left to Astcote, a mixture of old, renovated and (usually) tastefully designed modern property.
Our service 87 then wiggles out on to the A5. It is hard o countenance that this was once the main Roman Road to the north west and subsequently the main route for all vehicles to places as far away a Holyhead.
It was Thomas Telford ...
... who adapted most of the Roman route from London to Wroxeter (near Shrewsbury) and continued it via his Menai bridge and on to Holyhead. But, near Towcester, it is now relatively quiet, having been superseded by the dreaded M1.
We turn tight off the A5 to Duncote, just missing Caldecote between the A5 and Tiffield. Duncote is another "blink and you'll miss it" community with a gorgeous higgledy-piggledy collection of properties with different styles and ages from pre planning permission days.
And so to Greens Norton where much loved independent Basford had their depot. The shed is still there ...
... but the yard is now occupied by two "bijou" cottages.
And so, on to Towcester ...
... where the 87 loops via the outer "layer" of newer housing (Springfields and Highfields) ...
... before coming to rest back on our old friend the A5 in the centre of the town.
We have just missed Heathencote and Wood Burcote; but the stop shown above is not quite the end. Onward and Upward to Tesco!
Our 87 runs via the "old" A43 Northampton Road serving a newish chunk of housing between there and the new A43, where ...
... all the roads are named after racing car drivers! To add to the fun, if Streetview is to be believed, the bus stop is on the wrong side of the road.
At the top of the hill our "virtual" bus turns sharp left to find its way back to Tesco, also on the old A5 ...
... entrance seen here looking back to the A43 junction.
If we can persuade Country Lion to stop, we could walk a short way up the old Northampton Road ...
If we can persuade Country Lion to stop, we could walk a short way up the old Northampton Road ...
... and just before it comes to a sticky end, we have no choice but to turn right to Hulcote.
The "cote" ending to the village names is from "cott" as in cottage, but fbb has no idea why Towcester should have accumulated so many localities with names derived from just one such hereditament.
Perhaps they were the far flung residences of some snivelling minions in service to a Lord of the Manor, somewhere.
Whoops, fbb forgot Field Burcote. It is up a no through road from Duncote (see above) and its main claim to fame is a stud of Alpacas.
A joyous ride with plenty to experience, BUT, with Northamptonshire's decision to cut its remaining funding for bus services,
The budget savings due to be discussed by cabinet this week include a review of Northamptonshire libraries, changes to the highways maintenance programme, a reduction in funding for Trading Standards and Corby children’s centres, and the removal of bus subsidies.
County council leader Councillor Heather Smith (Con, Oundle) said: “There is no denying that there are difficult decisions to be made, and the proposals we have before us will undoubtedly have an impact on local communities.
Not so much Frayed Ends as a complete scalping! Northampton Correspondent Alan is on the case on behalf of the local us Users' Group but so far he has only received a clutch of "holding" e-mails. Presumably the Council has not even started to consider the detail.
Will the 87 survive the chop?
Next Monday miscellany blog : Monday 23rd October
Kent County Council were due to hold a Council meeting on Friday at which they were considering an Autumn Budget Statement. The report outlines the urgent need to address a significant overspend this financial year and the loss of more funding next year. It includes a proposal to reduce the spending on supported bus services by £2.9m over two years with a move toward community transport.
ReplyDeleteThat figure should have read £2.0m
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