Bus Services in Westmorland

This page is intended to give a flavour of the bus route options that are available within the CAMRA Westmorland Branch in order to visit our pubs. As a rural area, public transport can be sparse and infrequent, and for many small villages in our area nonexistent.

The information is intended as a guide only, please refer to the appropriate sources of information before setting out as we cannot guarantee the information is up to date.

CAMRA Westmorland Branch firmly believes you should not drink and drive.

Bus Routes

Westmorland is a rural area, and bus sevices can be infrequent. The services below are those that run several times during a weekday, though Sunday services can be very restricted. There are many services that run once a day, or once a week, which have not been listed as they normally cannot be used to visit the pub without large amounts of walking.

Places within Westmorland with pubs serving Real Ale in bold, places outside the branch are in italics. Places where there is a possible rail connection, which may involve a walk, are shown with a *.

Most of the major bus routes are run by Stagecoach, though some of the more rural and infrequent services are run by local independent operators.

With the exception of the 555, 563 and X35 routes the bus services stop before 19:00, and Sundays have a much reduced service.

Full details can be found at traveline.info.

A map of Cumbria Bus routes can be found here.

106

Kendal*-Tebay-Orton-Shap-Clifton-Eamont Bridge-Penrith*

Daytime bus service through the centre of the Branch. May need to change buses in Shap. Service shared between Stagecoach and Apollo, though the Stagecoach Explorer is valid on all. The Stagecoach buses show number 107 between Penrith and Shap.

108

Penrith*-Eamont Bridge-Yanwath-Tirril-Pooley Bridge-Glenridding-Patterdale

Daytime bus serving Ullswater. More Details here

516

Ambleside-Skelwith Bridge-Elterwater-Chapel Stile-Great Langdale

Daytime bus serving the Great Langdale valley. The Three Shires Inn at Little Langdale can be reached by a 1½ mile mountain walk from Chapel Stile.

For a map of the route see here.

517

Windermere*-Troutbeck-Kirkstone Pass-Hartsop-Patterdale-Glenridding

Summer only service over Kirkstone Pass.

Note runs daily only July and August, with just Weekend and Public holidays services from April to October and there is no service November-April.

Details here.

552

Kendal*-Low Sizergh-Heversham-Milnthorpe-Sandside-Storth-Arnside*

Daytime bus along the south side of the Kent Estuary. Levens can be reached from the Low Sizergh stop, which is called Heaves Hotel.

555

Lancaster*-Burton in Kendal-Holme-Milnthorpe-Heversham-Low Sizergh-Kendal*-Staveley*-Ings-Windermere*-Troutbeck Bridge-Ambleside-Rydal-Grasmere-Keswick

Possibly the most useful bus service in the branch, the 555 is one of the longest bus routes in the country that stops at every stop on the route. Some buses do not go all the way from Lancaster to Keswick, and some may be numbered 554 or 556 instead. Levens can be reached from the Low Sizergh stop, which is called Heaves Hotel.

563

Penrith*-Temple Sowerby-Kirkby Thore-Appleby in Westmorland*-Sandford-Warcop-Brough-Winton-Kirkby Stephen

The bus along the A66. Run by Grand Prix and Kirkby Lonsdale Coaches, no Sunday service. We believe the Lakes Day Ranger pass is valid on this route, but are not sure about the Stagecoach Cumbria Day Explorer.

564

Kirkby Stephen*-Ravenstonedale-Sedburgh-Oxenholme*-Kendal*

The Black Bull at Nateby can be reached by a mile walk from southern Kirkby Stephen. The route passes Kirkby Stephen Railway Station. Not all buses call at Ravenstonedale.

Note that the Cross Keys at Cautley Spout is a temperance house.

567

Kendal*-Oxenholme*-Barrows Green-Crooklands-Lupton-Kirkby Lonsdale

There are other buses to Kirkby Lonsdale from Lancaster

599

Grasmere-Rydal-Ambleside-Troutbeck Bridge-Windermere*-Bowness on Windermere

An open top bus service. The 505 bus service from Windermere to Coniston also serves Ambleside and Troutbeck Bridge.

X35

Kendal*-Low Sizergh-Witherslack-Grange Over Sands*-Ulverston*-Barrow in Furness*

A subsidised limited stop bus service. It cannot be used for travel between Ulverston and Barrow. Levens can be reached from the Low Sizergh stop, which is called Heaves Hotel.