Bus services that enter private property (except shopping centres/supermarkets/works only)

[EYFanatic]

On Saturdays only there's a journey from Pocklington that terminates at the Prison. Perhaps its catering for staff change over times at start/end of shifts?

Its possible but odd times for shift changes on the whole at a Prison - unless Full Sutton has special arrangements

 

[YorkRailFan]

Its possible but odd times for shift changes on the whole at a Prison - unless Full Sutton has special arrangements

The only other thing I can think of is visiting times. A bus terminating at the prison doesn't really signal release times.

 

[EYFanatic]

The only other thing I can think of is visiting times. A bus terminating at the prison doesn't really signal release times.

The larger prisons tend to stagger them through the day so the times they enter and leave the prison match public transport. That Saturday service might be for staff as Full Sutton as with most prisons doesn't release on a weekend... Though I fear we may encounter the wrath of the moderator gods if we go off topic

 

[YorkRailFan]

The larger prisons tend to stagger them through the day so the times they enter and leave the prison match public transport. That Saturday service might be for staff as Full Sutton as with most prisons doesn't release on a weekend... Though I fear we may encounter the wrath of the moderator gods if we go off topic

That would make sense.

Anyway, a few more suggestions:
Coaster 14 (East Yorkshire) serves a Holiday centre in Flamborough on a private road.
Scarborough Park & Ride - 64 & 165 (East Yorkshire)
Hull Park & Ride - 20 (East Yorkshire)
Newquay Park & Ride - 93 (Go Cornwall Bus)
Truro Park & Ride - PR1 (Dartline)
St Ives Holiday Village - 19 (Go Cornwall Bus)
Belfast International Airport - Ulsterbus 300/300a
Belfast City Airport - Translink 600
Exeter International Airport - Stagecoach 4A/58A

Hospitals are a good shout as well.

 

[Mr. SW]

Trundling round the Eastern Perimeter Road at Heathrow on the 285 always used to amuse me. Even more amusing before they diverted the route where it used to cross a taxiway in the maintenance area with all the lights, gates etc. and me sitting on the top deck watching a 747 trundle past.

 

[EYFanatic]

Trundling round the Eastern Perimeter Road at Heathrow on the 285 always used to amuse me. Even more amusing before they diverted the route where it used to cross a taxiway in the maintenance area with all the lights, gates etc. and me sitting on the top deck watching a 747 trundle past.

I remember when they were free getting two buses that went around the south and west part of Heathrow and always spotting the EL AL planes being blocked in on remote stands by the cargo areas by the middle east arab planes - sure some of the stops were on Heathrow land

 

[JD2168]

David Goodfellow Travel:
X4 serves Doncaster South Park & Ride & the Airport
385: serves Lindholme Prison

First South Yorkshire:
357/357a serve Yorkshire Wildlife Park car park
X11 serves both DHL Excel & Hesley Village & College on its route.
353 serves Redhouse Industrial Estate along an access road

Both TM Travel & Sheffield Community Transport serve Northern General Hospital grounds to get Clock Tower turning circle with the 32 & H1 respectively

Hornsbys Travel & Stagecoach East Midlands (Scunthorpe) both serve Yorkshire Wildlife Park turning circle

Stagecoach services 1/X1 both serve Chester Zoo car park

 

[Mr. SW]

I also remember taking a bus through the cargo tunnel at Heathrow.

 

[ElBoiii]

David Goodfellow Travel:
[...]
385: serves Lindholme Prison

First also run the 385A to HMP Lindholme on Sundays

Both TM Travel & Sheffield Community Transport serve Northern General Hospital grounds to get Clock Tower turning circle with the 32 & SC1 respectively

Isn't it the H1, not the SC1?

 

[Robin Saunter]

As another contributor posted, back in the 1970s a Birch Brothers, later United Counties, service between Bedford and Shefford ran through what was then RAF Chicksands, in reality a large USAF global eavesdropping unit. There were indeed armed guards at the gates.

The facility is now a UK intelligence academy and hosts an excellent military intelligence museum which is open to the public with prior booking.

 

[Robin Saunter]

In the more distant past now, but Birch Brothers and later United Counties had services that went into Chicksands USAF base. From my (not always reliable) memory, there were armed guards at the entrance, but, once inside, it was exactly how you thought a small town in the U.S. would look.

I remember travelling on that route in c.1975-6. I recently went back to Chicksands to visit the museum.

 

[Steddenm]

There used to be a Blackpool Transport bus between Preston and Fleetwood that went into a military camp, up to the houses there and then turn back on itself. Passengers could stay on board as it went through the security gates and into the compound. I don't think the bus runs anymore.

 

[JD2168]

First also run the 385A to HMP Lindholme on Sundays

Isn't it the H1, not the SC1?

Correct, sorry about that, has been amended

 

[Paul AC]

Bee Network services 288 (Altrincham - Manchester Airport) and 313 (Stockport - World Freight Terminal) both call at two stops inside Manchester Airport's World Freight Terminal area. In theory this is a restricted area, presumably if a member of the general public alighted here they might get asked what they were doing.....

 

[YorkRailFan]

Go Cornwall Bus 56 enters Newquay Cornwall Airport, passing through a set of barriers to access the bus stop.

Several Buses enter Northallerton Friarage Hospital including:
Procters - 53
Hodgsons - 54, 55, 80, 89
North Yorkshire Council - 153

Scarborough Hospital is also directly served by several buses entering the Hospital Grounds:
East Yorkshire - 9, 9A, 9X, 10, 10A

Goole Hospital is another example:
East Yorkshire - G3, G4, G5, 55
Arriva Yorkshire - 400

Selby Hospital continues the trend:
Arriva Yorkshire - 64, 164, 476

 

[Mark L]

I remember when they were free getting two buses that went around the south and west part of Heathrow and always spotting the EL AL planes being blocked in on remote stands by the cargo areas by the middle east arab planes - sure some of the stops were on Heathrow land

There are several bus stops on the airport.

 

[Newport Lad]

Newport Bus 45: RSPB Wetlands and Newport International Sports Village

Newport Bus 31a/c: Lighthouse Park turning area

 

[SalopBuses]

As a fellow Salopian - born Broseley, lived Ironbridge then Madeley, who is now down South - l absolutely love the predictive text/typo "open a goat" lol.....

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jul 2026 ==


Knowing what is now at Chicksands l would be incredibly surprised if that was still the case.

I only just noticed that spelling mistake LOL, I meant gate of course.

 

[Simonm1978]

Preston Bus service 6 and Stagecoach 1A terminate in the James Hall (Spar) Distribution Centre grounds at Red Scar Industrial Estate

 

[cool110]

There used to be a Blackpool Transport bus between Preston and Fleetwood that went into a military camp, up to the houses there and then turn back on itself. Passengers could stay on board as it went through the security gates and into the compound. I don't think the bus runs anymore.

Weeton Barracks, still served by one of the LCC tendered services that Archway took over.

 

[Deerfold]

Bradford City Transport in the early 70s diverted route 63 Wrose - Brighouse into Hanson School grounds at least twice a day. When Boots at Beeston was at its peak Bartons routes 18 and 32 diverted into the private bus station in addition to many works services

When I lived in the area 1992-6 there were a couple of dozen works services run by NCT and a few variations of the 18 and 32 , run by Barton, that ran slight variations or short runs and terminated at Boots.
Once I realised that it was just as convenient to do a journey by changing at Boots as travelling into Nottingham and out again. It hadn't occurred to me there would be security gates, but though cars were being stopped and passes checked, the bus wasn't. I got off as the bus parked in one of dozens of parking spaces.
Embarrassingly, the bus I needed was the one I got off.

 

[Belfastmarty]

In Belfast the Metro 94 route and variations run along both Queens Road and Airport Road / West all of which are Belfast Harbour Commissioners property. Similarly for the 96 to the Stena Terminal which uses West Bank Road and the 600 to City Airport which is located on Harbour Commissioners land. The Harbour Commissioners maintain a private network of around 26 miles of road around the 2000 acres of the Harbour Estate. A slightly different example is schools route e108 which runs from Crumlin to the RAF Camp at Aldergrove.

 

[65477]

A quirky one from around 20 years ago.

There was a major fire on one of the roads serving Walthamstow Bus station which affected bus routes for some time.. Most services were diverted to stops on local streets, but a number of single deck routes were allowed through the private high level goods road serving the next door shopping mall. As this was at roof level it involved some very steep gradients.

 

[GoneSouth]

C'mon guys - read what the OP said

Some obvious ones around the West are Temple Meads Station, Bristol Parkway Station, Gloucester Station, Cheltenham Station, Worcestershire Parkway Station… are we seeing a pattern here! All railway owned.

Bath University as an example of educational establishment, the buses terminate at a bus turning point inside the campus.

Gatwick Airport must be horrible to visit as a bus driver. There are probably highwaymen ready to pounce to take the loot as soon as they enter the perimeter. Horrid place.

 

[Gareth1990]

Do buses to football stadiums count? There's quite a few routes on match days only that run to Middlebrook stadium (near Bolton), presumably they drop off in the car park which I assume is private by the big gate usually blocking access.

Not sure what we're counting as Private so I'd also like to nominate the bus route that runs through a military base near Southend (which you can only use if you have actual purpose to go to the town it serves), and most bus stations.

I don’t think Foulness island counts, the island is still technically public land, it’s just the MoD restricts access

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Bath University as an example of educational establishment, the buses terminate at a bus turning point inside the campus.

That's perhaps slightly misleading - they travel into the centre of the campus to the stops. (as an aside, there is a First Southern National bus stop flag) on the way in.

Meanwhile, at Bath Spa University, the buses travel about a mile from the main road through the "grounds" (basically fields) to the campus.

 

[GoneSouth]

That's perhaps slightly misleading - they travel into the centre of the campus to the stops.

How so? I did say they turned INSIDE the campus. Granted I didn’t specify the length of the access road to said bus stops.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Aug 2026 ==

Meanwhile, at Bath Spa University, the buses travel about a mile from the main road through the "grounds" (basically fields) to the campus.

Ah yes, should have said both universities in Bath! Lovely place!

 

[YorkRailFan]

The University of York has dedicated buses linking the Campuses with the City. The 6, U1 & U2 operates daily throughout the year, with the UN1 operating on Weekends in the holidays and daily in the term time. The U3 runs daily in term time and the U4 on weekends in term time. All are operated by First York. Buses with the U prefix are dedicated Uni buses, the 6 takes a longer route through Tang Hall and continues to Clifton Moor.

 

[JRT]

first bus run a free bus from Bradford Interchange to their depot at Bowling Back Lane for drivers, also available for the public to reach the office trying to trace lost property.
first Huddersfield used to run a normal bus service from Huddersfield Bus Station up to their garage at Old Fieldhouse Lane, but members of the public were kicked off at the gate...

 

[em81]

On westbound journeys, this service also enters the grounds of Macclesfield Hospital, as does route 130. Route 130 on Mon-Fri also runs via Alderley Park.

And the new 150 route goes via Alderley Park too.

On the 130 the airport interchange is similar to the hospital grounds.