Plymouth, Horse Bus Services | To Boscastle, North Devon, Plymstock, Tavistock and Truro

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HORSE BUS SERVICES

TO BOSCASTLE, NORTH DEVON, PLYMSTOCK, TAVISTOCK AND TRURO

Updated: 06 October 2011

White's 1859 Directory of Devon lists the horse bus services then running from Plymouth and Devonport to other places in Devon and Cornwall.

Gilbert's bus ran from the Portsmouth Passage House in Cornwall Street, Devonport, to Boscastle in Cornwall, every Wednesday at 8am.
A Mr Avent ran a bus from the Carlton Inn, Saint Aubyn Street, Devonport, to Tavistock on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, departing at 6.30am.
This was followed up across the Moor to Tavistock by Newson's omnibus, which left the Market House Inn, Market Street, Devonport, at 8am every day except Sundays. Services in the reverse direction were operated from the Cornish Arms in West Street, Tavistock, the Exeter Inn in Back Street and Proctor & Gillard's.
At 7pm each weekday evening the "Fairy" omnibus left the Bedford Inn, Plymouth, and after calling briefly at the New Market Inn, Cornwall Street, ran via the Torpoint Ferry to Bodmin and Truro.
Another service ran from the Royal Hotel Stables to Plymstock, every Thursday and Saturday at 5pm.

By train and coach from Plymouth to North Devon

Although a coach service rather than an omnibus one, mention should be made of the "Emerald" coach that gave Plymothians access to north Devon. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, by catching the 8am train to Tavistock, passengers could transfer to the "Emerald" coach at 9am for the journey to Launceston (arrive 11.30am), Bude (3pm) and Bideford, where it was due to arrive at 6.30pm in time to continue on the 6.45pm train to Barnstaple.

The return service on the alternate days left Barnstaple at 10.15am, Bideford Station at 10.45am, Bude at 12 Noon and should reach Tavistock in time for the 8.10pm train to Plymouth.

Messrs Pridham & Herbert operated this service.

Sources:

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