Britain’s best inland open-top bus ride

Tuesday 21st May 2024

Matt Kitchin and his Stagecoach Yorkshire team launched the Peak Sightseer open-top bus route in conjunction with Derbyshire County Council last summer. As explained when I blogged about the route last August, the route was a collaboration between Stagecoach, the County Council, the National Park Authority and Chatsworth House operating to a figure of eight, linking Bakewell and Ashford-in-the-Water with Chatsworth House, Baslow, Curbar, Calver and Hassop Station for the Monsal Trail.

Thanks to Bus Service Improvement Plan funding and support from Chatsworth House the route continued at weekends right up to last Christmas and it was stated at the time, plans were in hand to run something more extensive this summer as indications were Hulley’s of Baslow would not operate their Peak District Breezer linking Chatsworth House with Hathersage, Bamford, Hope and Castleton which had been introduced last summer and acted as something of a spoiler to the plan the County Council had been working on.

And sure enough, there’s no sign of the Peak District Breezer but Peak Sightseer is back and with an absolute stunner of an additional route for this summer season.

Not only does the new Blue route link Chatsworth House with the aforementioned Hathersage, Bamford, Hope and Castleton through the Hope Valley but continues to Blue John Cavern through the spectacular Winnats Pass and quite frankly is consequently one of the most stunning open-top bus rides you’ll find.

Last year’s figure of eight route has also been modified for this season. It’s called the Red route and now follows a simpler frying pan style circular route still linking Chatsworth House with the Monsal Trail, Bakewell and Ashfield-in-the-Water but omiting Baslow, Curbar and Calver as the Blue route serves these areas.

The Red route runs half hourly with two buses while the Blue route is hourly with three.

Ticket prices have increased from last year with a day ticket costing £9.50 (last year £6) and the charge for concessionary pass holders and under 19s £5.50 (last year £4). But the travel opportunities have much increased this year too. There’s also a £25 group ticket for up to five people.

The five buses offer positioning journeys at the start and end of operations from Chesterfield (three departures) and south Sheffield (two departures).

It’s a daily operation between around 09:30/10:00 to 18:30/19:00 with the timetable applying until early October reducing to weekends only until the end of that month.

This year’s operation began on Saturday 11th May and I was able to get up to the Peak District last Friday which turned out to be a glorious sunny day, ideal for open-top bus riding.

Unfortunately I had to modify my travel plans due to delays caused by an East Midlands Railway broken down train at Wellingborough meaning I missed the 11:02 Chesterfield connecting bus.

However I was able to pick up the 12:00 Blue Route soon after it left Chatsworth House when it reached Baslow a few minutes later. It arrived with a very friendly driver and four passengers on board.

I’d noticed the bus stop display before boarding…

… and the driver gave me a colourful timetable brochure when I asked if he had any.

One of the passengers was following our route from the map in the leaflet and reading the descriptions of the places we were passing.

It’s a lovely route heading north via Curbar, Culver and Grindleford alongside the River Derwent. The bus then turns westwards along the A6187 through Hathersage, Bamford and the Hope Valley before arriving at Castleton.

There are some fantastic views to be enjoyed on this section of route …

…. but these are just a taster for what’s to come on the final ten minutes as the bus continues westwards beyond Castleton to Blue John Cavern.

We picked up four more passengers in Castleton joining for this grand spectacular finale to the route.

The bus squeezes round a couple of tight angle corners leaving Castleton before taking the narrow unclassified road…

… past Speedwell Cavern – where underground boat tours are available…

… and then the the truly amazing Winnats Pass.

Here’s a short video clip to try and convey just how spectacular this section of the route is.

After that the bus turns right to head down to the turnaround at the end of the road by the entrance to Blue John Cavern.

And what a truly stunning scenic bus terminus.

It’s the climax of a brilliant bus journey and worth every penny of the £9.50/£5.50.

I’d visited the same spot in August 2019 when Stagecoach ran the H1/H2 Hope Valley Explorer branded routes funded as a trial by the National Park Authority.

I wrote about the journey at that time, but it was operated by a couple of Optare Solos and the open-top bus certainly makes the scenery and the Winnats Pass a much more impressive vista.

There’s a ten minute layover at the terminus so time for most of us to get off and soak up the delightful views although two passengers travelling together from Chatsworth House and hogging the front seats resolutely didn’t move from their prized position and indeed sat there all the way back too – just over two and a half hours.

Personally I always enjoy the views much better from the rear of the upper deck on an open-top bus…

… and note the somewhat luxury style seats Stagecoach has inserted into these buses making for a very comfortable journey.

We didn’t pick anyone else up on the journey back to Chatsworth House but two of the four passengers who’d been on from the start alighted in Castleton, where there’s time for a toilet stop by the small bus station, as the timetable includes an eight minute pause.

Two of the four passengers who’d boarded at Castleton on the outbound journey alighted in Hathersage with the other two, along with the front seat hoggers, continued back to Chatsworth House.

Well, I’m guessing so as I alighted at Grindleford to enjoy the family run café in the former railway station building as promoted on the interesting commentary which had been playing out on the bus during the journey.

My driver was obviously enjoying his job and told me how much he was looking forward to the season ahead. He’d shown excellent driving skills especially on sections of route where the roads are narrow.

If you travel on one open-top bus this summer. I strongly recommend making it the Peak Sightseer.

You won’t regret it. Access is convenient to/from Hathersage, Bamford, Hope and Grindleford stations on the Sheffield to Manchester Hope Valley line (with Bamford having the most convenient bus stops for the railway station) and there are also buses from Chesterfield to Baslow and Chatsworth House and Sheffield to Castleton and Baslow/Chastworth House.

Roger French

Blogging timetable: 06:00 TThS.

Comments on today’s blog are welcome but please keep them relevant to the blog topic, avoid personal insults and add your name (or an identifier). Thank you.