Taunton to Seaton via Hemyock 1960 - 1964

[Mallard60022]

A very long shot but does anyone know what buses/coaches worked this route. I suspect it might have been Bristol vehicles and possibly in Bristol Omnibus livery?

Thanks

Phil 

[olivegreen]

I honestly don't know, but I was a Taunton boy at the time and think it more likely to have been Western National than Bristol. I hope someone else can answer more positively!

Mike.

[chrisf]

I'm wondering whether it was Southern National territory.  IIRC Western National held sway west of Devon General's patch, though it is bound to be not so simple as that.

 

Chris

[olivegreen]

I'm wondering whether it was Southern National territory.  IIRC Western National held sway west of Devon General's patch, though it is bound to be not so simple as that.

 

Chris

Could well be.  That said, much of south and west Somerset was Western National, though (I don't know who dominated west of Exeter!).

Mike

 

(minor edit only)

[allan downes]

You could try this.

 

Bus Services Hemyock

findthestop.co.uk/routes/Hemyock

1 bus services in the Hemyock area. Hemyock to Tiverton (397) REDWOODS TRAVEL LTD REDWOODS TRAVEL. PH1077645/3. Privacy · Contact ...

[Pugsley]

According to this, it wasn't Southern National:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_National

 

Unfortunately, it doesn't mention what it would have been.  It could have been Devon General though:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devon_General

[allan downes]

Must tell you a little story as told to me by Bob Wyat of Scalelink.

 

Way back when the line was still open, Bob rode the train from Tiverton to Hemyock when just as they were  approaching the station along the home straight the driver stopped the train for 10 minutes to watch a local cricket match being played in a field adjacent to the line !

[Mallard60022]

Could well be.  That said, much of south and west Somerset was Western National, though (I don't know who dominated west of Exeter!).

Mike

 

(minor edit only)

Probably Devon General? IIRC Western National did the 'Country' routes out of and around Plymouth e.g Plymouth to Yelverton.

Alan, it was 1960 - 62 I was looking for thanks.

Phil

[olivegreen]

At the time in question I remember Western and Southern National buses in, and to the south of Taunton, and also those of a small private company (based in Chard, South Petherton or Dowlish Wake, IIRC) whose name I cannot remember, but never Devon General. Doesn't mean they were never there, of course!

[Mallard60022]

I could almost get excited about historic bus stuff, however I shall have to wait to see by friend as he will research this for me. He will probably have pictures as well.

Phil

[Mallard60022]

Just found some info that it was service 214 and worked by Southern National, at least from Seaton to Taunton. 

I was hoping to post a link but it won't load. Sorry.

Phil

[olivegreen]

I could almost get excited about historic bus stuff, however I shall have to wait to see by friend as he will research this for me. He will probably have pictures as well.

Phil

I have to admit, I'm also having to work hard to contain my excitement on this topic...

But that said, it does bring back long-forgotten memories of bus trips to and from school (in Taunton) and home (between Staple Fitzpaine and Chard) in the sixties.

[Rivercider]

I have the Devon General timetable for 1965 here.   Sidmouth and Axminster were the eastern limits of Devon General operation, with two daily services on route 47 to Weymouth jointly with Southern National. 

 

Service 4 was Exeter to Axminster, most services terminated at Ottery St Mary or Honiton  but  five or six services a day went to Axminster. Service 47 was Exeter to Weymouth via Axminster.

 

the timetable notes include  :-

  ......and showing facilities at Axminster (Rly Stn Approach) for Seaton with Southern and Western National Service 213 Taunton-Seaton.

 

Times shown are 

 

Axminster      0815    0903   1142   1430   1443   1703    1747   1938   1947   2318

Seaton           0844    0932    1209  1459   1512   1732    1814    2007   2022  2347

                       NSu     NSu                 Su      NSu    Su       NSu     NSu    Su     WS

 

 

cheers 

[Rivercider]

I have the Colin Morris book  Southern National Omnibus Company (Ian Allan)

the inside covers have undated (as far as I can see but probably 1952) route maps of Devon and Cornwall, and Somerset and Dorset. 

 

On the Somerset & Dorset page a number of routes are shown serving the Taunton Hemyock Seaton area. 

Service 213 runs Taunton - Ilminster - Chard - Axminster - Seaton. 

 

The Hemyock area seems to be served by two routes.

Route 261    Minehead (?) - Wiveliscombe - Wellington - Hemyock.

Route 282    Taunton - West Buckland - Hemyock - Uffculme.

 

Route 278 runs through the area

Route 278    Taunton - Upottery - Honiton - Sidmouth

 

Another couple of routes start at Seaton

Route 45   Seaton - Sidmouth

Route 97   Seaton - Branscombe - Sidmouth. 

 

cheers 

[The Stationmaster]

BR timetables of around that period showed various 'bus routes which replaced or supplemented rail routes.  Give me a reminder tomorrow (when I can visit the attic and see what I can find for that period)

[Mallard60022]

BR timetables of around that period showed various 'bus routes which replaced or supplemented rail routes.  Give me a reminder tomorrow (when I can visit the attic and see what I can find for that period)

Morning Mike. Reminder....and thanks!

 

Many of the routes mentioned above still operate and I'm fairly sure the Exeter Weymouth may still be the '47 and promotes the Jurassic Coast! When I was in Colyton last October I was looking at doing some coastal routes and that '47 looked like a great trip and I think it was double deck too so views would have been good. However I/we didn't have the time, despite having Passes. next time perhaps?

Looks like the 213 is the service I was after. I think that still runs but is Service 20 now?

Phil 

[The Stationmaster]

Morning Mike. Reminder....and thanks!

 

Many of the routes mentioned above still operate and I'm fairly sure the Exeter Weymouth may still be the '47 and promotes the Jurassic Coast! When I was in Colyton last October I was looking at doing some coastal routes and that '47 looked like a great trip and I think it was double deck too so views would have been good. However I/we didn't have the time, despite having Passes. next time perhaps?

Looks like the 213 is the service I was after. I think that still runs but is Service 20 now?

Phil 

Phil.

 

I can't find a service number but I think it might be possible to narrow down the operator -

 

1. After the rail service was withdrawn the Winter 1963/64 WR Public TT shows the 'bus operator to Hemyock as Western National

2. The Summer 1963 SR PTT shows inter-availability for rail tickets on 'buses and shows Axminster to Seaton as operated by both Western National and Southern National.

3.The 1965 WR PTT shows the Sunday service on the Seaton branch as a 'bus service operated by Western National or Southern National 

 

Conclusion -

 

a.  Western National operated to both Hemyock and Seaton (service numbers regrettably not shown).

b.  Southern National operated to Seaton but I can find no mention of them operating to Hemyock in any of the timetables around that period.

 

So logically a Taunton - Hemyock - Seaton service would have been Western National.

 

Now a-googling I did go and found some fascinating little hints, one saying

 

'Western National route 213 was the Taunton-Seaton service via Ilminster, Chard and Axminster,  it was replaced by the 495.'

 

Now read this - scroll down a bit for the 1964 213 timetable

 

http://publictransportexperience.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/by-bus-its-hard-going-from-chard-5.html 

[devonseasider]

Current service Exeter - Weymouth - Poole is X53.  Nice run along the coast.

Current service Seaton - Taunton via "the pretty route" (Honiton/Hemyock/Wellington) is 20.

[Rivercider]

I could not see any photos of route 213 buses in the Southern National book to check what sort of vehicles might have opertated the service.

Southern/Western National buses seem to be mostly Bristol built with ECW bodywork in that era.

 

I have a 1975 Western National fleetlist and it shows Taunton garage code TN and Seaton garage code SN.

Taunton understandably has a large allocation of most types of bus.

Seaton seems to have only single deckers allocated.

 

In 1975 Seaton still had one Bristol SUL, and three Bristol MWs allocated,  both types that date from the 1950s.

 

cheers 

[Mallard60022]

I don't think the 213 went past Seaton Junction then. never mind, I can do a Sunday bus in 1965 and maybe a 'School Special' service from 'the Junction' to villages as I adopt Rule 1.

Much appreciated all. Quite good fun isn't it?

 (Hope so anyway)

Phil

[The Stationmaster]

I don't think the 213 went past Seaton Junction then. never mind, I can do a Sunday bus in 1965 and maybe a 'School Special' service from 'the Junction' to villages as I adopt Rule 1.

Much appreciated all. Quite good fun isn't it?

 (Hope so anyway)

Phil

I shall have to look up the Sunday service but I can tell you already that in 1965 (out of period of course) the Sunday service 'bus connection was from Axminster

[Rivercider]

I have just found another Devon General timetable from 1955 which I had forgotten about, it shows a bus service to Seaton Jn.

 

There is a service No. 52,  Exeter - Honiton - Seaton which ran three days a week,

I wonder how long after 1955 it ran?  It does not appear in the 1965 timetable.

 

 

Runs W S Su

 

Exeter  (Paul St)        9.5         1.5pm        5.5pm

Seaton Jn                  10.39      2.39pm     6.44 pm

Seaton                       10.57      2.57pm     7.2pm 

                                    ns

 

cheers

[Mallard60022]

I have just found another Devon General timetable from 1955 which I had forgotten about, it shows a bus service to Seaton Jn.

 

There is a service No. 52,  Exeter - Honiton - Seaton which ran three days a week,

I wonder how long after 1955 it ran?  It does not appear in the 1965 timetable.

 

 

Runs W S Su

 

Exeter  (Paul St)        9.5         1.5pm        5.5pm

Seaton Jn                  10.39      2.39pm     6.44 pm

Seaton                       10.57      2.57pm     7.2pm 

                                    ns

 

cheers

That's interesting. Market days and church day perhaps? Sundays also maybe very limited rail service?

P 

[Godfrey Glyn]

I lived in Chard between 1959 and 1966 when I went off to college, infact we lived at the bottom of Fore Street, right by the bus stop for the service 213 to Taunton. I only remember seeing Southern National buses Bristol LD Lowdekkers, LS and MWs on local routes. The Royal Blue coaches stopped further up the road. I certainly can't remember seeing a Western National though I do remember seeing them in Taunton. The ones that worked the 213 were the rear entry types. Attached is a copy taken on my iPhone of a 120 contact print photo I took outside the house in the early '60s. It has the old style radiator. I travelled to school in Ilminster on the 213 for my first year as there was no room on the school coach which was provided by Wessex Coaches. I don't remember that Wessex Coaches ran any local bus services though they did have at one point some very old Bradford buses. As small boys in rural Somerset were were astonished to see that these 'semi-retired' imports had the missive that 'Spitting is Prohibited' displayed on the front of the roof of the top deck.

 

All the best 

Godfrey

[Bulwell Hall]

I lived in Chard between 1959 and 1966 when I went off to college, infact we lived at the bottom of Fore Street, right by the bus stop for the service 213 to Taunton. I only remember seeing Southern National buses Bristol LD Lowdekkers, LS and MWs on local routes. The Royal Blue coaches stopped further up the road. I certainly can't remember seeing a Western National though I do remember seeing them in Taunton. The ones that worked the 213 were the rear entry types. Attached is a copy taken on my iPhone of a 120 contact print photo I took outside the house in the early '60s. It has the old style radiator. I travelled to school in Ilminster on the 213 for my first year as there was no room on the school coach which was provided by Wessex Coaches. I don't remember that Wessex Coaches ran any local bus services though they did have at one point some very old Bradford buses. As small boys in rural Somerset were were astonished to see that these 'semi-retired' imports had the missive that 'Spitting is Prohibited' displayed on the front of the roof of the top deck.

 

All the best 

Godfrey

Nice photo!  Note the conductor in the summer time lightweight jacket - sort of beige colour with very pale green collar - worn with the otherwise standard black uniform including the cap.

 

Gerry