PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
|
|
MOTOR BUS ROUTE "128", "128A" & "128B" PLYMOUTH to TOTNES, PAIGNTON and TORQUAY Until 1928 it was only possible to do the road journey from Plymouth to Torquay by changing buses at Totnes and then at Paignton. Messrs Hopper & Berryman operated as far as Totnes. On Saturday June 23rd 1928 Ashcroft’s Motors Ltd of 1 Seaway Terrace, Paignton, started a new express service from Torquay to Plymouth. They used the 'latest low loading observation saloon coaches' and stopped only at Torquay Station (Grand Hotel), Paignton (Maypole Corner), Totnes (Seven Stars Hotel) and Ivybridge (Church). The service terminated at Torquay (New Town Hall) and Plymouth (Tavistock Square (sic)). There were four journeys in each direction. This service was evidently popular because commencing Saturday June 30th 1928 they advertised an 'Augmented Express Service' of eight journeys each way. Ashcroft's worked in conjunction with the Devon General Omnibus & Touring Company on the Torquay to Paignton section. Clarence Mumford of Hopper & Berryman noted the importance of this development and bought Hendra's "Totnesia" business at Totnes. By joining Hopper & Berryman's route from Plymouth to Totnes with Hendra's Totnes to Paignton route and extending the run to Torquay, Ashcroft's had a new competitor. On Saturday July 7th 1928 the National Omnibus & Transport Company Ltd and Devon General Omnibus & Touring Company started a 'Devon National Amalgamated Service' from Plymouth (Sherwell Arcade) to Ivybridge, Totnes, Paignton and Torquay, comprising eight journeys each way, leaving each end at the same time. This had service number 209. A new company, H. B. Buses Ltd, was registered on March 19th 1929 and this took over the Hopper & Berryman services. On Monday May 13th 1929 the newly formed Western National Omnibus Company formally took over the National Omnibus Company's service 209 from Plymouth to Ivybridge and Totnes and service 209A Plymouth to Avonwick and Totnes. These routes were extended to Torquay. By an agreement dated July 31st 1929 the National Omnibus & Transport Company and the Devon General Omnibus & Touring Company were allowed to run seven daily return trips each and HB Buses six return journeys. From Wednesday January 1st 1930 Western National allocated service numbers 128 to the Plymouth to Torquay route via South Brent and 89 to the route via Avonwick. On February 3rd 1930 HB Buses was renamed the Southern General Omnibus Company Ltd and in the new timetable published on July 7th 1930 the Torquay service was shown as their route 4, although their vehicles never carried route numbers. It was agreed on March 30th 1931 for the Southern General Omnibus Company to merge into Western National and the Company was finally wound up on April 19th 1933. From then on the service 128 was jointly operated by Western National and Devon General. The routes The service ran from Plymouth Technical College through Tavistock Road, North Hill, Alexandra Road, Old Laira Road, Crabtree, Marsh Mills, Plympton (George Hotel), Lyneham Inn, Lee Mill, Julian Arms (the present-day Hunter's Lodge), Ivybridge, Bittaford, South Brent (London Hotel), Rattery Mills, Tigley Cross, Shinner's Bridge, Totnes (Plains), Totnes Road, Torquay Road, Hyde Road, Paignton Railway Station, to Torquay, where it terminated outside the New Town Hall. (It would appear that the buses ran in to Totnes through the village of Puddavine rather than the main road). Service 128A started on April 1st 1931 and ran the same route except that after Bittaford the buses went in to the centre of South Brent village and came out again at the London Hotel. The 128B also started on April 1st 1931, having formerly been route 89, and ran the same route as far as Bittaford where it took the road to Avonwick, Charford Cross, Fork Cross and Follaton Cross, before regaining the main route at Totnes (Plains). Ugborough was added to the route from July 6th 1936. As a part of the war-time fuel economy measures, service 128A was combined in to the 128 from October 1st 1942 and the Plymouth to Ugborough service was stopped leaving the 128B as Ugborough to Totnes only. Winter 1935-36 timetables and fares The first journey in to Plymouth on a Monday morning only left the New Town Hall at Torquay at 5am and when it reached Plymouth it ran along Cobourg Street to the Royal Dockyard and the Royal Naval Barracks. It started its return journey from the Plymouth Technical College at 7am. For the remainder of the week the first bus from Plymouth was at 8am and the first from Torquay at 7.15am. The last buses left the Technical College and the New Town Hall at 10pm and would have passed each other near Rattery Mills. On Sundays the first buses from either end were at 9am and the last at 10pm. During the week the 128B left Plymouth at 1pm and called at Ugborough at 1.45pm. It returned from Torquay at 5pm, arriving at Ugborough at 6.05pm. On Saturdays only there was also one that left Totnes Plains at 1.15pm and Ugborough at 1.45pm for Plymouth. This was returned at 9pm from Plymouth, arriving back at Ugborough at 9.45pm and Totnes at 10.16pm. The single adult fare from the Technical College through to Torquay was 3 shillings; to Paignton Station 2/6d; or to Totnes Plains, 2 shillings. The return fare to Torquay was five shillings. On the 128B the return fare from Ugborough to Plymouth, and vice versa, was 2/7d.
|
