News

Expectation for details of the new route and timetable has been considerable in the last month, and we have been working hard to prepare the new Route Plan, Timetable and Fare Chart. 

The service will run on weekends from Saturday 27th of May until Sunday 8th October. In order to extend the season, we’ve decided to focus on running the service on Saturdays and Sundays. This has allowed us to run into early October. We will extend the service into October if it proves popular.

Hop on, Hop off

As before this remains a flexible service, allowing you to meet or leave the bus at fixed locations, and flag the bus down or ask for a ‘request stop’. The drivers will do their best to accommodate you.

Route A,  ‘Round the Mynd

In response to local demand, and to provide a new attraction for the area, that links more of our delightful villages, we are trialling the new ‘Round the Mynd’ circuit. This will run once in the morning, starting at All Stretton just before 10am, and do a ‘clockwise’ circuit linking Carding Mill Valley, Church Stretton Train Station and the communities south of Little Stretton around the bottom of the Mynd. This route opens new possibilities for walkers. Getting off in the Plowden/Myndtown area for example, opens up walks south into Craven Arms, along the Onny Trail and Shropshire Way, and north over the Mynd to starting points along the Stretton Gap. From Craven Arms it’s possible to return to Church Stretton station by bus and train.

Once at Bridges, the bus takes it’s usual journey westwards passing the Bog, Stiperstones Village, and Snailbeach Mine to terminate at Plox Green (with connections to the Shrewsbury – Bishops Castle bus). From here the bus returns to Bridges and its route around the Mynd continues clockwise – but with a new link, as it drops down through Woolstaston to Leebotwood and the A49. The circuit terminates at Carding Mill Valley (but stay on if you want to get back to the station).

Route B, The Cross Mynd Dasher

This route crosses the Mynd to Bridges in the early afternoon, where it turns around. It returns on the same route as Route A, again linking to Leebotwood, The Pound Inn, caravan site and the 435 bus service.

Cheaper Fares

We’ve taken the decision to charge for all tickets, although these will be at a significantly reduced price. A single ticket will be £2 for one stop, and £4 for a multi-stop. A Day Rover will be a very affordable £5, giving passengers the ability to hop on and off any service, all day. The new season ticket will be £50 allowing unlimited travel throughout the season.

New Timetable Leaflet

The new printed timetable will be available from Church Stretton Library, Carding Mill Valley Tea Room, Church Stretton Town Council Office, The Bog Centre as well as businesses, pubs & cafes around the route. We will also distribute them to libraries, visitor centres and attractions in the area, such as Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, Shrewsbury Museum and Ludlow Assembly Room Visitor Information Centre. Full details will also be on the website www.shropshirehillsshuttles.co.uk

40 is the magic number!

We are hoping the new service will be welcomed by regular users of the old service, attract new users, and provide new ways to enjoy this outstanding landscape. We have set ourselves the target of 40 passengers a day to make the service sustainable for the longer term. Please help us achieve this by using the bus, and telling your friends, family and visitors about it. Please let us know what you think of the new service too by commenting on our Facebook site (ShrophillsAONB) or contacting us through the website.

Thanks

We’d like to thank all users who have given us their views on the bus and have helped us keep the service running. Thanks also to Church Stretton Town Council, The National Trust, Natural England and Shropshire Council for providing the grants to subsidise the service. We hope you enjoy it, see you on the bus!