Buses that serve National Trust properties

[Jimmi]

Although the route is a bit weird in the details ... in the way it zig-zags to and fro, linking towns and the railway to The Wall ...

AD122 follows the Hadrian's Wall Trail. I often see the buses working their way along parts of the B6318.

[When the route was set up it was meant to be a coast-to-coast / follow the Wall trail, but I'm not sure how it works atm]

The trail route runs all the way from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway, back in 2006 at least, Classic Coaches ran one journey a day in each direction all the way from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway but the AD122 was later revised to mainly run between Hexham and Carlisle (with extentions to/from Bowness-on-Solway and Newcastle at the start/end of the day), going off some old timetables I've seen, more recently it's primarily been Hexham to Haltwhistle.

 

[A S Leib]

How many bus routes are near the Birmingham Back to Backs? (Which is also I think one of two NT sites somewhat near a tram stop, with Morden Hall Park the other. Edit: looking at the NT website, there's Castlefield Viaduct, Birmingham Roundhouse and, in Edinburgh, NTS Gladstone's Land and Georgian House.)

Going into National Trust for Scotland, the Lockerbie to Gretna (Dumfries? Carlisle?) bus route serves Thomas Carlyle's Birthplace in Ecclefechan.

 

[AndrewE]

There is a #25 bus which goes from Llandudno Junction station to Bodnant Gardens, currently 2-hourly. We used it and were a bit concerned that the Traveline journey planner said that to get in we had a 6 minute walk on a road with no footway... In fact the bus stops at the main (car-park) entrance by the ticket office and there is a short-cut through a tunnel under the road straight into the grounds!

 

[Buzby]

Time was, of course, when all you had to do was look at the handbook.

National Trust of Scotland still do, indeed it links to Google Travel that calculates the route from your current location to the property, then gives the timetable and where to change (if appropriate). Here’s the page for Burn’s Cottage in Alloway - click on Public Transport.

Planning your visit

Castles and battlefields, gardens and glens, islands and wildlife… enjoyed and protected.

www.nts.org.uk

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Chatsworth House in Derbyshire has a few services, such as the 218 TM Travel from Sheffield to Bakewell, the 170 Stagecoach from Chesterfield to Bakewell, a service from Matlock and a couple of sightseeing services.

Chatsworth House isn't a National Trust property, is it?

 

[AndrewE]

How many bus routes are near the Birmingham Back to Backs?

Traveline says it is just 8 mins walk from New St... and doesn't bother to offer a bus option, the first time I have seen that!

 

[Trainman40083]

Chatsworth House isn't a National Trust property, is it?

Whoops. What about Haddon Hall?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Whoops. What about Haddon Hall?

No, Haddon Hall's not National Trust owned, either.

 

[Trainman40083]

No, Haddon Hall's not National Trust owned, either.

Hmm, I shall give it more thought...

 

[AndrewE]

No, Haddon Hall's not National Trust owned, either.

but isn't it on the A6 with all the main road buses on it? Twice an hour, to the door by the look of it.

 

[Trainman40083]

but isn't it on the A6 with all the main road buses on it? Twice an hour, to the door by the look of it.

Certainly on the Transpeak and Trentbarton 6.1 routes.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

but isn't it on the A6 with all the main road buses on it? Twice an hour, to the door by the look of it.

That's as may be. Doesn't make Haddon Hall a National Trust property, though, as per the question posed by @Martin1988.

 

[Amos]

TfGM route 280 from Altrincham operates daily to Dunham Massey.

Not sure if it’s still the case,but the number 5 from Warrington also served Dunham Massey.

 

[A S Leib]

Ones I've been to by public transport myself are

• Powis Castle, Welshpool (not sure how close the nearest bus stop is, but I remember it being a fair walk from the mainline station)
• Quebec House, Westerham (near Chartwell)
• Bannockburn Museum, Culloden Battlefield, Glenfinnan Monument, Tenement House (Glasgow), Robert Burns Birthplace Museum (Ayr), Alloa Tower (National Trust of Scotland)
• Tudor Merchant's House, Tenby (went by train; probably doable by bus)
• Washington Old Hall
• Crook Hall, Durham
• Treasurer's House, York
• Lindisfarne Castle
• Fountains Abbey, Ripon
• Wordsworth House, Cockermouth
• Gawthorpe Hall, Burnley

 

[AndrewE]

That's as may be. Doesn't make Haddon Hall a National Trust property, though, as per the question posed by @Martin1988.

but it's not much of a stretch to think about other heritage properties with a similar access "problem" - or not. In fact it illustrates the fact that many destinations "off the beaten track" can be reached by public transport.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

but it's not much of a stretch to think about other heritage properties with a similar access "problem" - or not. In fact it illustrates the fact that many destinations "off the beaten track" can be reached by public transport.

No, but you wouldn't want to rock up at Haddon Hall with a NT membership card and only then find it's not valid and you have to pay something like £28 to get in. Similarly at Chatsworth House.

 

[Trainman40083]

No, but you wouldn't want to rock up at Haddon Hall with a NT membership card and only then find it's not valid and you have to pay something like £28 to get in. Similarly at Chatsworth House.

I think you'd divert to Bakewell for a Bakewell pudding

 

[py_megapixel]

For a year or two before the pandemic, there was a bus service at the weekend operated by Stagecoach Manchester from Hazel Grove Park & Ride to Lyme Park, Cheshire. The NT had some involvement but I can't remember exactly what.

Unfortunately when the visitors started to return after the pandemic, they didn't reinstate this and instead put forward a plan to dig up a huge area of grassland on the western edge of the park to install a gigantic car park - a plan which thankfully was eventually abandoned

The park does remain served by High Peak route 199, as well as TfGM's route 360 (although perhaps that doesn't count - it only passes through once a day, at 5:37am, and the park doesn't open until 8:30!). But the dedicated shuttle bus still has not returned.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Buckland Abbey in Devon, one time home of Sir Francis Drake, has service 55 to Milton Combe stopping at the entrance drive. Now run by Oakleys it has had various operators over the years. Pre-deregulation it was Plymouth Corpn.

 

[The exile]

Speke Hall is not far off bus routes from Liverpool South Parkway - but a rather tedious walk, IIRC.

 

[daodao]

Not sure if it’s still the case, but the number 5 from Warrington also served Dunham Massey.

Warrington Borough Transport route 5 was diverted some years ago away from Dunham Town as their buses were no longer suitable for passing under the low canal bridge.

From 1st September 2025, a re-routed service 5 will be running via Little Bollington on its journey from Warrington to Altrincham and thus pass a stop about 20 minutes walk from Dunham Massey Hall.

 

[AlastairFraser]

The park does remain served by High Peak route 199, as well as TfGM's route 360 (although perhaps that doesn't count - it only passes through once a day, at 5:37am, and the park doesn't open until 8:30!). But the dedicated shuttle bus still has not returned.

Tbh a shuttle bus would get stuck in the traffic disaster at the end of the A555 heading into High Lane - yes it can use the Buxton Rd bridge to bypass the lights at the A555/A6 junction itself, but you still get stuck in the A6 queues through High Lane as far as Carr Brow. Solve that traffic issue with a tunnelled High Lane to Furness Vale bypass (££££££££, but no way it'd get approved on the surface) and you can have a cheap and efficient shuttle bus, as well as 199 reliability.

Or a Disley station shuttle bus using Red Lane would escape most of the congestion.

The 199 does get reasonably close to the gates too, so it's not a massively isolated place to get to.

 

[Ridercross]

Some Midlands properties are

Greyfriars House - any bus serving Worcester City Centre
Dudmaston Hall - Select 297 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth
Charlecote Park - Stagecoach 15 Stratford to Leamington
Coughton Court - Stagecoach X19 Stratford to Redditch and Diamond 247 Redditch to Evesham
Wightwick Manor - Arriva Midlands 9 Wolverhampton to Bridgnorth

 

[Simon75]

D&G 94 Congleton to Newcastle under Lyme runs near Biddulph Grange

 

[nathann1]

Chatsworth House in Derbyshire has a few services, such as the 218 TM Travel from Sheffield to Bakewell, the 170 Stagecoach from Chesterfield to Bakewell, a service from Matlock and a couple of sightseeing services.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Aug 2025 ==


I actually doubted you..... I checked bustimes.org and nothing showed, but when you go onto the High Peak website, timetable, there it is. I can imagine very few people along the route from Derby know that... And people locally always seem to ask about how to get there

Very strange its not even on bustimes. As you said, used it on a pretty warm day in July where it was super busy at Kedleston, yet nobody else took the bus....
It enters the hall via the exit for cars which is pretty interesting, with cars coming the other way, and usually involves some driving on the grass!!

 

[Porty]

It's easy to get to the following properties of the National Trust for Scotland by bus:

Tenement House and Willow Tea Rooms in central Glasgow,

Gladstone's Land and Georgian House in central Edinburgh,

Falkland Palace (bus every 30 mins from Glenrothes, with frequent connection to Edinburgh),

Culross Palace (hourly service to Dunfermline with frequent connections from Edinburgh),

Alloa Tower (hourly bus between Dunfermline and Stirling),

Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre (hourly bus from Inverness right to the door)

Glencoe Visitor Centre (Ember from Glasgow/Edinburgh to Fort William stop at the turn into the site). Not sure whether Citylink do so.

Hill House, Helensburgh is close to the Helensburgh to Balloch /Alexandria bus route and a 15 minute uphill walk from Helensburgh town centre with more buses and trains.

Robert Smailes Printing Works in Innerleithen is directly on the half hourly Edinburgh to Galashiels X62 route.

Drum Castle drive entrance is on the Aberdeen to Braemar bus route

I'm sure there are a few more.

 

[Trainman40083]

Very strange its not even on bustimes. As you said, used it on a pretty warm day in July where it was super busy at Kedleston, yet nobody else took the bus....
It enters the hall via the exit for cars which is pretty interesting, with cars coming the other way, and usually involves some driving on the grass!!

As I conveyed, I thought I knew the route well, and didn't know it served Kedleston Hall.. I bet many others don't too, that live close to the route.

 

[Dai Corner]

Very strange its not even on bustimes. As you said, used it on a pretty warm day in July where it was super busy at Kedleston, yet nobody else took the bus....
It enters the hall via the exit for cars which is pretty interesting, with cars coming the other way, and usually involves some driving on the grass!!

It is on the NT website though

Kedleston Hall | Derbyshire

Visitor information for National Trust's Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

The 114 bus service from Derby (25 mins) and Ashbourne (30 mins) stop at the Hall on Summer Saturdays, and at the Smithy/estate entrance on other days (1 mile walk from the Hall). Click here for bus timetables There are direct buses to Derby from: Belper (30 mins), Burton-on-Trent (40 mins), Nottingham (35 mins), Leicester (40 mins), Uttoxeter (80 mins) and other towns. Plan your car-free visit at Good Journey


As a thank you for arriving car-free, enjoy a free hot drink from our restaurant when you show your bus ticket with the day’s date on it.

 

[Rail Ranger]

Warrington Borough Transport route 5 was diverted some years ago away from Dunham Town as their buses were no longer suitable for passing under the low canal bridge.

From 1st September 2025, a re-routed service 5 will be running via Little Bollington on its journey from Warrington to Altrincham and thus pass a stop about 20 minutes walk from Dunham Massey Hall.

The buses were suitable. The issue was that Trafford Council re-signed the bridge under the Bridgewater Canal at Dunham with a lower maximum height to comply with new national guidelines and Warrington Borough Transport's insurers would no longer allow their buses to pass under the bridge.

 

[urbophile]

Rufford Old Hall has the 2A Preston - Ormskirk at the main entrance, and the 347 Chorley - Southport at the church side entrance.

And (I know the title of this thread is buses, but...) Rufford station (Ormskirk to Preston line) is a pleasant ten minute or so walk away.

Speke Hall is perhaps a 20 minute walk from the nearest bus stop which is served by most buses to John Lennon Airport... 86a, 82a, 80a, 500 etc, which also call at Liverpool South Parkway station. Also the Hardmans' House (when it is open) is five minutes at most from many bus routes.

It's scandalous though that the National Trust, which blows its own trumpet over caring for the environment, gives little help to those needing or preferring public transport. Even if it's not possible to print up to date details in the handbook, they could at least give some basic suggestions, and fuller details on the website. We investigated getting to Attingham Park near Shrewsbury the other week; managed to discover one bus that stops in the adjacent village, but no indication on the website how easy or far it is to walk from there to the entrance..