MINSTERLEY MOTORS OPTARE METROCITY AND WRIGHT PULSAR 2 AT THE COMPASSES INN BUS STOP ON CORVE STREET
Whilst Minsterley Motors of Annscroft would be considered the main operator in the area, the town is also served by Diamond Buses and other independent operators, such as Lugg Valley and Celtic Travel. Throughout the summer months, Ludlow also benefits from many visiting coaches from operators all over the country. These usually park in the Smithfield Coach Park, which is located on the corner between Lower Galdeford and Weeping Cross Lane, just down the hill from the town’s police station.
During the town’s Food Festival weekend (usually mid-September), the town is usually full of visiting coaches, which usually drop off near the Feathers Hotel or Compasses Inn, both on Corve Street, as well as extra Park and Ride buses.
Whilst there are a variety of operators for such a small town, there is not so much a variety of buses. Most routes are usually allocated Optare Solos.
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Variety |  Mostly Optare Solos, with some other Optare vehicles appearing, such as MetroCitys and the occasional Versa. It's now rare to find a non-Optare service bus operating in Ludlow, except for on the once-a-week X11 service to Builth Wells, which is usually an ADL Enviro 200 MMC. |
| Operator Variety |  For a small town, Ludlow has a higher number of bus operators running services to and from it, including independents such as Lugg Valley Travel and Minsterley Motors, as well as larger companies, like Diamond Bus, part of the Rotala Group. |
| Quantity of Buses | The number of buses that visit Ludlow is no more than what you would expect for a town of its size. Most services in the town use only one vehicle throughout the day. There are no Sunday services in Ludlow. |
| Photograph Opportunities | Ludlow has a number of spots which are great for taking photographs of buses. The town centre, where most bus services in Ludlow terminate, is a one-way system, eliminating the possibility of oncoming traffic blocking a photograph. |
Brown's of Builth's YJ62 FYS, an Optare Solo SR, loads passengers at Castle Square for an X11 service to Llandrindod, now operated by Celtic Travel
R&B Travel's Mercedes-Benz Optare Solo M850 YK05 CBY on Castle Street, passing Ludlow Market, as it works a 143 service to Stottesdon
Shropshire Council's BU03 HPZ, on loan to Arriva Midlands as their 6004, on Castle Street as it makes its way to the Assembly Rooms, its first stop for its next service, the 740 to Knighton
Scania Irizar i3 demonstrator SC13 BUS on hire to Minsterley Motors as it approaches its first stop to start its next journey, a 435 to Shrewsbury
Minsterley Motors' YD63 VFG, a Mercedes-Benz Optare Solo M9000SR, loading passengers on Corve Street near the Compasses, ready to work its next service, a 435 to Shrewsbury
Lugg Valley Travel's 109, a Mercedes-Benz Optare Solo M990 departs Corve Street as it works a 490 service to Hereford via Leominster
More info coming soon!
Lugg Valley Travel's 122, a 2008 Mercedes-Benz Optare Solo M920, crosses Ludford Bridge as it arrives into the town after operating a 490 service from Hereford
M & J Travel of Newcastle-on-Clun's YD65 DNN parked in the town's main coach park on Lower Galdeford
Mawley Oak Travel (now trading as Mawley Minibuses) 281 parked in the Smithfield Coach Park
Lugg Valley's Optare Solo 133 and Minsterley Motors' Optare MetroCity YJ65 EVX parked in the Smithfield Coach Park in between service trips
Minsterley Motors' YD63 VFG, an Optare Solo SR, passes Aldi bus stop on Station Drive whilst working a 701 service, shortly followed by N300 MMS on the 722 service
YJ66 APO, Diamond Bus' 30051, an Optare Solo SR, works a 292 service as it passes Aldi on Station Drive
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All text and images (unless otherwise stated): © 2022 Valley Link Transport Collection - do not copy or use without prior permission
