A Brand New Bus Service (1)

Running Seven Days A Week

But fbb will keep you guessing for a while but take you to the Peak District of Derbyshire. It was the UKs first National Park, created in 1951 as an indirect result of the mass trespasses of the 1930s to pressure landowners to allow access to the Moors.

There aren't any peaks in the Peak district, just a few lumpy bits of Moorland and the origin of the name is a continual source of argument and annoyance to various so-called experts. Most of the National Park is in Derbyshire but it includes bits of Yorkshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire.

Derbyshire is a big County and its most northerly border is near the remote TV transmitter at Holme Moss, near Holme, near Holmfirth, "Last of the Summer Wine" town.

We are looking at the grey backs of two signs marking the border ...

The sign in the other direction doesn't even mention Y*rksh*r*!!

This road used to carry a Summer dated "proper" bus route (double deck!), but now only the occasional 351 minibus pies this superb moorland trail.

Travelling south towards Glossop from Holme Moss, you do get a real feel for the peak-less Peak District ...

Moving south, National Express will offer you two service 350 journeys a day in each direction via the Woodhead route (A628) ...

As late as 1985, Sheffield Transport was still running two similar trips as X48 ...

... followed by Richardsons in an expansive post-privatisation boom in longer distance routes.

The expansion did not last!

As you approach Glossop (Tintwistle in fact) travelling west, you may spot this walled area.

It marked the boundary of the substantial dwelling below which stood above Woodhead Station and the western portals of its eponymous tunnel.

All gone, of course, but the tunnel mouths are still there ...

... plus a vestigial station platform.

Next route south is the celebrated Snake Pass (A57), usually the first to bung up when it snows.

In fine weather, it, too offers a gorgeous moorland ride.

The climb from the east is through woodland then out into more spectacular wasteland, alas no longer do-able by public transport. The bus route was enhanced by a refreshment stop at the Snake Inn (more correctly "The Snake Pass Inn").

fbb remembers a stop there in the early evening gloom on a run back from Manchester many, many years ago.

The next trans-penning route isn't!

But was! The A625 ran from Sheffield to Castleton then over Mam Tor and on to Chapel-en-le-Frith and Manchester.

Known as the "Shivering Mountain" on account of its instability (you can see why) ...

... it was closed completely and for ever in 1979 but, until then, did carry Summer only Manchester extensions of the Sheffield Castleton route. The route was always joint between Sheffield Transport North Western then Trent ...

... but only red buses climbed the Mam Tor road.

There is a "back road" which still joins the two bits of the severed route ...

... but Winnats Pass is definitely "light vehicles only".

The former A625 ...

... just stops!

But it is to this general area of the peak District that our new bus service (started on Sunday last) will take us ...

... in tomorrow's blog.

 Next new bus route blog : Friday 26th July