Impact of the Bus so far….

Established to provide a practical, sustainable alternative to car travel in the Ullswater Valley, the Ullswater Hopper Bus has seen demand rise dramatically year on year, demonstrating a clear appetite for reliable public transport that supports both local communities and visitors while protecting the landscape. 2025 marked the most successful season to date placing increasing pressure on the existing single-bus service.

“The Ullswater Hopper Bus has exceeded all expectations,” said Michael Firth, SITU chair. “The growth over just three years shows that when a well-designed, reliable service is provided people will choose buses over cars. If we are serious about reducing congestion and emissions in the Lake District, we must invest in people-focused transport solutions.

“SITU has broken the mould and has already demonstrated that communities can work together to make things happen.  Our new £65,000 appeal is an invitation to be part of our next exciting chapter,” concluded Firth.

The figures tell a compelling story:

Due to its popularity, services have frequently reached capacity during peak periods, highlighting the urgent need for additional provision. The introduction of a second bus would significantly improve reliability, increase capacity, and enhance access to one of the Lake District’s most visited areas, while continuing to reduce car dependency and congestion.

In 2023, we organised a new minibus service in the Ullswater valley with Stagecoach which ran on weekends and bank holidays from July 1 to 29 Oct. The idea was to connect the main centres of accommodation with the main attractions in order to enable residents and visitors to reduce reliance on the private car, thereby reducing both congestion and our carbon footprint. Stagecoach provided the bus, but we needed to guarantee the income. We arranged the funding with the Barton and Pooley Bridge Community Fund who also kindly pledged to support the service financially. In the end the service was paid for partly by fares and partly by grant assistance from Eden (now Westmorland and Furness) and from the National Lottery through ZCC. The service was a success, carrying over 1150 passengers.

In 2024 we expanded the service to run from 23 March to 3 November, also at weekends and bank holidays. We also increased the reach, number of buses and number of stops. As part of the expansion, Stagecoach provided a new service, 509, from Penrith via Lowther, Askham, Pooley Bridge, Aira Force, Dockray and the A5091 and A66 to Keswick, and return. The minibus service, UB1, ran from Aira Force via the holiday parks in Bennethead to Pooley Bridge, then to Howtown via the holiday parks on the south side of the lake, and return. These services, combined with the existing 508 service, opened up many more visitor and resident journeys that could be taken by bus rather than by car. Stagecoach helped us to support the new 509 service, which indicated the success of the previous year’s service as well as the success of our partnership working with Stagecoach.

In 2025 we further expanded the services with a daily bus service for Whit week and the whole of July and August.

We are grateful to all the Ullswater businesses and other local entities who have kindly offered pledges to cover the cost of the services in the event fare income is insufficient: The Quiet Site, Lowther Castle, The National Trust (Aira Force), Lake District Estates (the Ullswater Steamers and Waterfoot Holiday Park), Ullswater Holiday Park, Another Place and The Brackenrigg Inn, Park Foot Holiday Park, Hillcroft, Waterside, Rookin House, the Ullswater Inn, The Royal Hotel (Dockray), Verey Books, Granny Dowbekins and The Secret Garden, Queen’s Head, Askham, Askham Hall and the George & Dragon, Clifton, Ullswater Way Cottages, Pooley Bridge Inn and Queen’s Head, Tirril, Inn on the Lake, Troutbeck Head, Ullswater eBikes, Waterfoot Car Park and Matterdale Parish Council. Please support our supporters as well as the buses!