Route 11 settles back in Settle

Saturday 11th July 2026

Back in April 2024 there was much joy at the return of a “vital” bus service linking North Yorkshire villages with the Ribble Valley and Clitheroe over in neighbouring Lancashire.

The Lancashire Guardian at the time reported how “The move follows discussions with local residents, with Lancashire County Council joining forces with Ribble Valley Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council, which has commissioned the service from 21 Transport Ltd.”

Lancashire County Council even produced a lovely timetable leaflet containing a route map showing how route 11 restores links between Horton in Ribblesdale and Settle before continuing via Rathmell, Wigglesworth and Tosside in North Yorkshire then over the border into Lancashire via Slaidburn, Newton, Dunsop Bridge, Whitewell and Bashall Eaves to Clitheroe.

Two minibuses provide a two-hourly frequency on the service with a morning and afternoon journey extended to and from Bowland Academy near Clitheroe on schooldays. Southbound buses commence their journey in Horton in Ribblesdale then pause for 47 minutes in Setttle before continuing on to Clitheroe effectively meaning it’s two separate routes carrying the same route number 11.

Although, as can be seen from the northbound timetable below, journeys to Horton in Ribblesdale continue uninterrupted, save for a three minute pause through Settle.

The above reflects the fact until its withdrawal in 2013 the route was in fact two separate services – a route 10 funded by Lancashire County Council between Clitheroe and Settle and a route 11 funded by North Yorkshire County Council between Settle and Horton in Ribblesdale.

The future of the two routes came to a head in October that year when a report to Lancashire County Council’s Highways and Transport Committee noted “the contract to operate these services has become unsustainable, significantly failing the County Council’s current financial guideline where at least 40% of the cost of running the service must be met through fares income, including concessionary reimbursement.”

The report continued “the cost of continuing operation of these services is an annual net subsidy of £265,000 based on an estimated revenue of £25,000 and 22,000 passenger trips per annum, returning a revenue to cost ratio of 8.6%.  North Yorkshire County Council currently contributes an agreed £39,000 per annum to the cost of providing the services which results in a net annual cost to the County Council of £226,000 for the service.  This contribution will cease from 28^th September 2013.”  

As a result of this the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport was asked to “introduce a revised route and timetable to operate between Slaidburn and Clitheroe on an off-peak Monday to Friday basis and reduce the annual net subsidy by an estimated £165,000” while over in North Yorkshire the report noted “North Yorkshire County Council have indicated their intention to look at alternative ways to provide public transport in their area and are currently considering utilising alternative subsidised services they operate to maintain the link between Settle and Horton-in-Ribblesdale.”

Fast forward over a decade and, as already highlighted the 10 and 11 were both back together again from 2024 on a two hourly ‘through service’ with financial support from both County Councils, and furthermore, a lot of positivity about the future from local communities.

I’d also seen glowing reports in the national media (The Guardian newspaper) about the scenic nature of this route so added it to my ‘to do’ list some time ago and was pleased to finally get round to taking a ride on Tuesday, always intrigued to see how such “vital”‘ services are doing, not least in this case, it being well over two years since being resurrected, presumably with Bus Service Improvement Plan (and now Local Authority Bus Grant) funding, otherwise one might be forgiven for wondering what’s changed since 2013 and it then being “unsustainable”?

I was on a two-day wander around the Lake District with my brother at the beginning of this past week and on our way back south we originally planned to ‘do’ the full route of the 11 from Horton in Ribblesdale over to Clitheroe including the break in Settle, but annoyingly the southbound train we planned to catch from Carlisle – to also enjoy part of the wonderful Settle-Carlisle rail line – arrives into Horton in Ribblesdale at 09:54 with the bus on route 11 departing at 09:55. Not very Mini-Switzerland.

So, we stayed on the train, which parallels the route taken by the 11, offering similar scenic delights, and alighted in Settle giving us an enjoyable 55 minutes until the bus departed there at 10:57.

Although ’21 Transport’ was awarded the initial contract to run the resurrected route 11 in April 2024, operation passed to North Yorkshire’s in-house bus operating arm in September 2024 so it was a very recent delivered (’75 plate) North Yorkshire Council owned Mercedes Sprinter which arrived into Settle’s Market Place at exactly 10:57 bound for Clitheroe.

My brother is not yet of an age to benefit from a concessionary bus pass so was ready with his bankcard to pay his £3 capped fare for the journey to Clitheroe only to be told by the driver it’s cash only. Luckily I always carry a few coins on my travels (you never know when a toilet visit is needed and only accessible through a coin operated turnstile – parts of mid Wales, Greater Manchester, Derby bus station – I’m looking at you) but sadly I could only muster up £2.85, however the driver kindly accept this as payment and issued a ticket.

I’m surprised North Yorkshire Council still hasn’t got round to accepting contactless payments on the significant number of bus routes operated by its own buses. They must be one of the very few (the only?) such bus operator to be so far behind the times in such matters.

After we settled into our seats a third passenger boarded who just travelled a few stops home with his shopping and on we proceeded towards Clitheroe on a 76 minute adventure through the delightfully scenic Ribblesdale and Bowland.

It wasn’t long before the rural nature of the route became evident as can be better seen on this Ordnance Survey map extract below.

There were no takers as we passed through Rathmell and I was beginning to wonder whether this “vital” service would prove to be rather sparsely frequented by passengers when we arrived into the next village called Wigglesworth…

… where two passengers were waiting wanting to travel all the way to Clitheroe.

They were caravaners on a four week tour of England and had parked their caravan on a site in the village and having seen the bus go by on another journey, made enquiries and decided to take a ride and enjoy a couple of hours in Clitheroe.

It wasn’t long after that when we turned off the road to enter the Bowland Fell Holiday Park to serve this major landmark for hundreds of static caravans…

… and as we drove up the half mile access road to the main reception area we passed the second bus on the service heading towards Settle…

… which had nine passengers on board.

… but there was only one passenger waiting to board us who also travelled through to Clitheroe.

After that it was back on the road enjoying more fabulous scenery…

… until we reached Slaidburn where two teenagers boarded, one going to Clitheroe and another to a horse riding activity in Whitewell. Slaidburn, like many of the villages we passed through looked particularly attractive…

… and then it was on to Whitewell, another fabulous looking village where our horse rider alighted and another teenage passenger boarded.

More scenery followed…

… but after 76 minutes on this superbly delightful journey we were arriving into Clitheroe where the bus terminates at the ‘Interchange’ – ie a bus stop right next to the railway station.

If you get a chance, add route 11 to your ‘to do’ list. You won’t regret it. It’s “vital” and quite well supported for a deep rural service.

Just one final observation – it’s such a shame North Yorkshire Council choose to block the forward view for passengers sitting in the offside double seats by sticking up notices immediately behind the driver…

… not least as the big notice contained so much information in such a small print size it was impossible to read it but on very close examination as I left the bus I realised it was the Conditions of Carriage,

Doh!

Roger French

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