Buses along the Dorset Stour

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hello,

It might be of some help to someone interested in the SDJR that ran along the Dorset Stour. For sixty years the area was faithfully served by the Bere Regis Bus Company, better known as  'Brown Buses', there is a weblog from Countrybus which provides some history, route map and images of their vehicles. 

 

Bere Regis Bus Company

 

Despite being rather small, the company has attracted the attention of EFE and their most attractive buses from the 50s were made.

 

 

The Bedford OB (shades of Pearce and Crump) was ideal for rural services and very comfortable although rather slow.

 

For those interested there is a description of the bus service that was supposed to replace the SDJR

 

Somervale

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Guest
Missing information

[bécasse]

While I cannot tell whether it was that precise bus, I certainly travelled in a Bere Regis Bedford OB between Cerne Abbas and Dorchester at the end of July 1959. I recollect that they used a strange form of ticketing that I had never encountered before and never encountered since. Oddly the route was served by Southern National on Sundays but not weekdays.

[geoffers]

Hants and Dorset (green buses) ran the no 24 service from Shaftesbury to Bournemouth and vice versa (hourly I think) via Blandford and Sturminster Marshall and Wimborne Minster. However in order to get to Poole you had to change to a 2 or 3 service (I think but memory a bit rusty here) in Wimborne or Corfe Mullen. Post S&D closure a service 24A ran from Stalbridge to Poole (which I used to catch in order to attend Poole Tech College). This lasted until the early 70s.  Other operators were Elliott's Coaches based near Wimborne, owned by a friend of my father, Bill Elliott (both ex-Navy). I recall Bere Regis Coaches too - they were brown coloured. Sadly these days Bere Regis is a marooned village with it's bus services having been withdrawn. You used to be able to go to Dorchester and Blandford. My friend who lives in Bere has to bum a lift to go shopping in these towns now, and to catch a train from Poole or Wareham if he wishes to come and visit us or to see his music publishers and record company in London (he does not drive). Royal Blue used to run through Sturminster Marshall and Blandford on the long distance route to Cheltenham. 

[melmoth]

A good book on Bere Regis & District:

 

Link to publisher

 

Link to a review

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Jack Benson]

On 10/05/2019 at 19:03, geoffers said:

Hants and Dorset (green buses) ran the no 24 service from Shaftesbury to Bournemouth and vice versa (hourly I think) via Blandford and Sturminster Marshall and Wimborne Minster. However in order to get to Poole you had to change to a 2 or 3 service (I think but memory a bit rusty here) in Wimborne or Corfe Mullen. Post S&D closure a service 24A ran from Stalbridge to Poole (which I used to catch in order to attend Poole Tech College).

Hi,

 

The A357 going north-west from Blandford was served by Southern National on their 75 Yeovil - Stur Newton - Blandford route a couple of times a day from 1948 to 1959. 

Hants & Dorset only came to the A357 in March 1966 with the closure of the S&D rail line therefore outside this thread. Their 24A ran Poole - Blandford - Stur Newton - Stalbridge a couple of times a day. Likewise, Somervale Coaches ran rail replacement services Blandford - Stur Newton - Wincanton - Shepton Mallet - Glastonbury four times a day until 1972. 

The Bere Regis Bus Company, IIRC, had a A357 route,  amongst their Sturminster services were 16 Blandford - Okeford Fitzpaine, 17 Shaftesbury - Woolland and 18 Yeovil - Sturminster Newton.

 

Map of Bere Regis services 1956

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

[geoffers]

Certainly the 24A was one of the "replacement" bus services on S&D closure. The 24 service from Shaftesbury to Bournemouth was used by punters from Blandford to Bournemouth whilst the railway was open and no doubt helped BR(W) in compiling their reasons for closure. To get from Blandford and Stur Marshall (Bailey Gate station) to Poole was a nightmare as you had to change buses in Wimborne or Corfe Mullen and the railway served us well. After closure we used the 24A in order to get to Poole. 

Edited May 13, 2019 by geoffers