A lovely bus parkrun

Saturday 24th June 2023

There are currently 1,183 parkrun events taking place on Saturday mornings across the country. This got me wondering how many bus routes ‘run’ inside parks?

I know of two.

I’ve previously featured Richmond Park’s route RP1 but today’s blog is about another delightful park bus route – one which has been serving Brighton’s historic Stanmer Park for the last 24 years (aside from the Covid interruption).

Brighton & Hove’s route 78 has been funded during that time through a partnership between the city council, the National Trust and, once it was formed, the South Downs National Park Authority.

When first introduced in 1999 the route ran on summer Sundays but over the years it’s been enhanced to weekends all the year round as well as daily operation during summer school holidays. In 2015 off peak Monday to Friday journeys were added to the timetable on schooldays from May while this year, thanks to funding from the Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, a peak hour weekday service has been introduced. This began on 24th April much to the delight of residents in isolated Stanmer Village, located deep inside the 485 hectare park – almost two square miles, nestling between Sussex University and the A27 as it curves around the residential area of Coldean.

Route 78 is one of three bus routes that use the long established Breeze up to the Downs branding…

… the others being route 77 to Devils Dyke (also runs daily, but started on 11th June) and route 79 to Ditchling Beacon (weekends from 23rd April).

Three Brighton & Hove Wrightbus StreetDecks used on Breeze branded routes 78 and 79 are fitted with bike straps enabling two cycles to be carried on the offside lower deck opposite the space for a wheelchair on these routes and two of these buses carry a special livery to promote the routes.

There’s a colourful leaflet to entice leisure travellers to take a ride not only on the three Breeze up to the Downs branded routes…

… but many other routes running further into the National Park in East and West Sussex.

It was good to see these were available on board buses as well as timetable leaflets, and as with all Brighton & Hove’s buses a network map is on display.

Routes 78 and 79 each take one bus and as the journey time is too tight to round in an hour the frequency is every 70 minutes. Two buses operate the 77 on a 45 minute frequency.

As you can see the first journey on route 78 leaves the Old Steine at 07:40 returning from Stanmer Village at 08:15. I caught the second journey of the morning from the city’s Old Steine at 08:50 on Friday of last week.

I was impressed to see it carried five passengers right into Stanmer Park as well as a few others making local journeys along Lewes Road which are covered by many other frequent routes. The next journey arriving into the Park 70 minutes later arrived with six alighting.

Lewes Road is one of the city’s busiest bus corridors and has seen a massive transformation over the last decade with bus priority measures and facilities for cyclists …

… as well as many new building developments for Brighton University …

… but it’s the scenic route into Stanmer Park itself which is the highlight of the journey.

The roof and upper deck sides take a bit of a hammering from tree branches as the bus makes its way …

… along the narrow Park road with views of the village church …

… and Stanmer House…

… to Stanmer Village located three quarters of a mile from the entrance gates.

Stanmer House has had a troubled history but now seems to have found a niche role as a conference and meeting venue …

… together with a café/restaurant and bar open to the public.

In fact you’re spoilt for choice for refreshments in the Park following the completion of a six year £7 million restoration project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, its community fund and support from the city council, Plumpton College (which now has a base in the Park) and the National Park.

This has seen much of the 18th Century landscape and buildings restored including Stanmer House, a Walled Garden (now called One Garden)…

..Nursery and the Home Farm complex.

The Walled Garden is a lovely spot to visit and contains an amazing array of plants tended by staff and maintained as part of Plumpton College’s involvement.

There’s also a garden centre, another café and a restaurant.

Over in the village there’s a tea room …

…. and a church …

… which has been closed for some time, and is currently up for sale by the Church Commissioners.

There’s a clearly marked bus stop at this spot where the bus takes its nine minutes layover between journeys.

There are special two for one ticket deals for passengers with a rail ticket or a third off for passengers travelling alone and there are great opportunities to combine a bus ride with a walk across from Stanmer Park to Ditchling Beacon to return to Brighton on route 79.

If you’re in Brighton, route 78 is well worth a ride especially while BSIP funding provides a daily service and you won’t be disappointed with Stanmer Park.

Dare I say it, I prefer it to Richmond Park.

And are there any more ‘bus parkruns’?

Roger French

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