Buses that serve National Trust properties

[Martin1988]

I'd be interested to find out which of the various National Trust properties are accessible by bus? Tyntesfield House in North Somerset (where I work) is served by X6 between Bristol and Clevedon from the main entrance and X9 between Bristol and Nailsea from the bottom entrance whilst Prior Park in Bath is served by Service 2 between Bath and Mulberry Park but I know that Dyrham Park is nigh on impossible to reach by public transport.

 

[Dai Corner]

If we say 'served by' equates to a walk of 10 mins or less Newport Transport 31A, 31C, 32 and 33 serve Tredegar House in the city.

 

[Farigiraf]

First Eastern Counties' 70 between Ipswich and Woodbridge stops by the entrance of Sutton Hoo, Stagecoach South East's 349 (Hastings - Hawkhurst) stops at Castle Inn, a 6-7 minute walk from Bodiam Castle's entrance, and A2B's new Tiger route 5 bus between Cambridge and Soham serves Anglesey Abbey.

 

[nathann1]

High Peak 114 diverts into the grounds of Kedleston Hall, for one journey a week on Saturdays, allowing a day trip from Derby.
It is a really scenic & narrow run through the grounds, do recommend it!!

 

[The exile]

Time was, of course, when all you had to do was look at the handbook. Do the Trust not keep this information vaguely up to date on the web pages for each property? If not, shame on them.
No shame - they appear to do so.

 

[cool110]

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

 

[renegademaster]

The 246 from Bromley to Westerham is extended to Chartwell on Sundays. Only TfL bus to have a one day a week extension i think.

 

[StoneRoad]

Both "English Heritage" and the National Trust handbooks point you to traveline.info for details of public transport.

Presumably, that site is more up-to-date / accurate than their own webpages, given the range of potential operators !

The handbooks give postcodes etc for satnavs & parking details

 

[jfollows]

Osborne House - which I visited last week, although I got there by car - is served by Southern Vectis 4 & 5 services. English Heritage not National Trust, whatever that means. I guess if I were still a NT member I might have been annoyed.

 

[stevieinselby]

In Yorkshire, and not counting properties that are in main towns or cities, or that are just general open countryside, we have the following:

Fountains Abbey: 139 (Mon, Thu & Sat) / 822, 825 (Sun & BH, summer only)
Brimham Rocks: 825 (Sun & BH, summer only)
Nunnington Hall: M8 (Sun & BH, summer only)
Rievaulx Terrace: M4 (Sun & BH, summer only)
Beningbrough Hall: 80 (Mon–Sat)
Nostell Priory: 485 (daily), 496 (daily)
Wentworth Castle: 23a (Mon–Sat), 24 (daily), 34 (Mon–Sat) – combined hourly service from Barnsley
East Riddlesden Hall: 662 (daily)

Braithwaite Hall and Mount Grace Priory have no buses within a mile walk

(numbers shown in green are at least an hourly service)

Time was, of course, when all you had to do was look at the handbook. Do the Trust not keep this information vaguely up to date on the web pages for each property? If not, shame on them.
No shame - they appear to do so.

The information is available on their website when you look at the page for each property, and they also have regional pages listing all the properties that you can get to without a car so that you don't need to click through to each of them in turn just to find out if it's an option. They don't provide that level of detail in the handbook any more, I think that because it's outside their control and can change frequently, they don't want to have published information that is out of date before the year is up and which they can't correct, whereas if they direct people to their website then they can ensure that it is kept current.

 

[lachlan]

Bembridge Windmill on the Isle of Wight is a short walk from bus route 8 and the Island Coaster.

It's only a small one but worth combining with food and a walk to the beach in Bembridge

 

[Bristol LHS]

Go North East runs a free summer Saturday X75 service from Newcastle to National Trust Wallington, calling at English Heritage Belsay Hall on the way. 4 runs each day.

Stagecoach Busways E1 runs past Souter Lighthouse on the south Tyneside coastline, Arriva X14 serves Cragside (three journeys a day or so?), Procters serve Fountains Abbey from Ripon three days per week on the 139, couple of Dales Bus services (822, 825) there from York during the Summer too. Ormesby Hall is easy by train, but Stagecoach Transit 39 or Arriva NE 63 pass the gates.

 

[The exile]

Osborne House - which I visited last week, although I got there by car - is served by Southern Vectis 4 & 5 services. English Heritage not National Trust, whatever that means. I guess if I were still a NT member I might have been annoyed.

About what?

 

[YorkRailFan]

Arriva X14 serves Cragside

Phoenix Coaches 471 also serves Cragside House.

 

[jfollows]

About what?

If my NT membership didn’t give me access, I don’t know because I’m no longer a member, but what’s the difference?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Both "English Heritage" and the National Trust handbooks point you to traveline.info for details of public transport.

Presumably, that site is more up-to-date / accurate than their own webpages, given the range of potential operators !

The handbooks give postcodes etc for satnavs & parking details

Exactly! More pertinently... there's absolutely loads!

In Northumberland, as @Bristol LHS says, the X75 to Wallington Hall is supported by both NT and EH https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/free-travel-belsay-wallington and the X14 pulls into Cragside specifically. You also have the 477 to Holy Island, the X18 serves Craster which is the preferred/recommended spot to walk to Dunstanburgh Castle, X7 serves Seaton Delaval Hall, AD122 to Housesteads...

As I say, there's lots and lots of places that are directly served, or are within half a mile.

 

[stevieinselby]

If my NT membership didn’t give me access, I don’t know because I’m no longer a member, but what’s the difference?

National Trust is one organisation, English Heritage is a different one.
There are a handful of properties that are jointly managed and that accept both memberships, but they are rare.

Would you get upset that your Tesco Clubcard didn't allow you to get Nectar prices in Sainsbury's?

 

[simonw]

I'd be interested to find out which of the various National Trust properties are accessible by bus? Tyntesfield House in North Somerset (where I work) is served by X6 between Bristol and Clevedon from the main entrance and X9 between Bristol and Nailsea from the bottom entrance whilst Prior Park in Bath is served by Service 2 between Bath and Mulberry Park but I know that Dyrham Park is nigh on impossible to reach by public transport.

I thought the NT handbook have this information, but maybe it's stopped.

Edit : I see others have already made similar comment

 

[jfollows]

National Trust is one organisation, English Heritage is a different one.
There are a handful of properties that are jointly managed and that accept both memberships, but they are rare.

Would you get upset that your Tesco Clubcard didn't allow you to get Nectar prices in Sainsbury's?

No, of course not, but until last week I hadn’t twigged that two different organisations did essentially the same thing. I just hadn’t thought about it.

Anyway, not the topic here.

 

[AlastairFraser]

There's a Thursdays only Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) minibus that enables a return journey from Woodcote (on the quite high frequency X40) or Sonning Common (on the Reading Buses pink 25) to Greys Court.

Basildon Park has a Tuesdays only OCC minibus that allows a visit picking up from/returning to Goring and Streatley station.

 

[daodao]

TfGM route 280 from Altrincham operates daily to Dunham Massey.

 

[Trainman40083]

High Peak 114 diverts into the grounds of Kedleston Hall, for one journey a week on Saturdays, allowing a day trip from Derby.
It is a really scenic & narrow run through the grounds, do recommend it!!

I never knew that, and I am less than two miles away

 

[Martin1988]

Thanks to those who have responded and provided this interesting information.

 

[The exile]

No, of course not, but until last week I hadn’t twigged that two different organisations did essentially the same thing. I just hadn’t thought about it.

Anyway, not the topic here.

English Heritage properties are basically all those that used to be under the direct care of the MPBW - later the Department of the Environment. (CADW in Wales and Heritage Scotland there)

 

[Trainman40083]

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 ==

High Peak 114 diverts into the grounds of Kedleston Hall, for one journey a week on Saturdays, allowing a day trip from Derby.
It is a really scenic & narrow run through the grounds, do recommend it!!

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

 

[Omnidekkalover]

Stagecoach 1 (Grantham to Lincoln) and Centrebus 27 (Grantham to Sleaford) serve Belton House near Grantham

 

[DelW]

Between Guildford and Leatherhead, NT properties at Clandon Park, Hatchlands and (with a longer walk) Polesden Lacey are served by Falcon Buses route 479 between Guildford and Epsom. Runs half-hourly Mon-Sat and hourly Sundays.

 

[WibbleWobble]

Morebus 40 stops in the centre of the village where Corfe Castle is situated, whereas the 50 passes alongside the Studland beaches (NT land).

Meanwhile Kingston Lacey is served by the Dorset Community Transport 88 which runs three days a week.

 

[StoneRoad]

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]

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

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]

AD122 runs from Walltown (clue there!) and the Visitor Centre to Haltwhistle train station. It then serves the main tourist spots on the wall - Housesteads, Vindolanda, Chesters and the Sill Visitors Centre before heading to Hexham and the train station there. The idea is it links the main tourist destinations with the rail stations from both east and west.