Thank you for the update @Tim May The bus situation is terrible now. I checked the last bus back to Dunstable, which at 13:57 is ridiculously early. Looks like any trip in the future will have to include taxi costs
I'm visiting a friend in Oxford for a weekend in November, and even though i'm flying out of Luton, Whipsnade seems far too difficult to get to and it looks like another London zoo visit is on the cards.
Bodafon Farm Park - Llandudno Train to Conwy bay station then walk to St Paul’s Church catch the 14 bus to Craig-y-don Nant-y-gamar then walk for 2 mins to Bodafon farm park
I think that is the National Express coach service. Not sure how often it runs (3 or 4 per day?) And since the southbound comes from - I think - Newcastle, its timekeeping could be iffy! EDIT. It runs once per day! Airport 0950, Zoo 1050. Zoo 1720, Airport 1825. And it runs from/to Leeds.
Believe it or not,sometime next year on a fine day,i'm intending to make the walk through the countryside from Sawtry village to Hamerton Zoo. Am I mad..? Is it more than an hours walk?..What.s the buses from Cambridge,Huntingdon,etc like.? I know theres a rare,pointless to attempt to get,bus that stops ONCE,at the zoo,on weekdays,but not weekends.
You're not mad! It depends on your level of fitness, but it takes me very slightly under an hour to walk it it's a very pleasant walk through some nice countryside, with not much traffic (and plenty of grass verges and banks to step onto when the occasional car or tractor comes along) and on a fine day, decent odds of seeing some nice wildlife. The buses to Sawtry from Peterborough are clean, fast and comfortable too.... and pretty regular! They don't run on Sundays though.
CROCODILE WORLD DIRECTIONS – Nearest rail station – Oxford Station Then walk to bus stop stand R8 take the S1 run by Stagecoach 39 stops around 46 minutes in total Get off the bus at Elm Grove and start to walk towards The Island in front of you Straight over at the Island on to Burford Rd Keep going past the Mason Arms on the right-hand side keep going to the junction with the B4477 Take the right-hand junction Along here for a few yards the left again back on the Burford Rd Take the second right this will lead you straight to the collection. Walking time around 25 minutes
BANHAM ZOO – Nearest train station – Diss Walk to bus station (10 minutes) Get bus service SE1 towards Attenborough Get off at Kenningham Rd walk 2 minutes to collection
AKAMBA TROPICAL HOUSE – WHITLOCKS END Nearest rail station – Whitlocks end Then walk to end of car park and turn right (Tilehouse lane) Walk around 400 yards then turn left (Tythe barn lane) Walk down the lane for around 10 minutes The collection will be on the left hand side of the road.
AXE VALLEY WILDLIFE PARK – Nearest rail station – Axminster then walk Onto Station yard then onto A358 down to island take the first turning On to B3261 Trafalgar way Take second right this leads to collection
Daily Bus Service to Hamerton Zoo Park I do not normally use ZC to 'promote' Hamerton, but thought members would like to know that today we have been advised of a daily bus service from Huntingdon station to the Park. I have copied the timetable below, as it includes the Park as a scheduled stop. The service is run by Whippet Coaches on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council. The bus runs once daily. It is the 401, and leaves Huntingdon at 12.30 and arrives at the Park at 13.12 taking roughly 3/4 of an hour to do the 8 miles. The return journey leaves the Park at 09.50 and after the 3/4 hour arrives at Huntingdon at 10.32 This will give visitors to the Park the whole afternoon at the Park, but presumably some type of local accommodation will be needed as there is not return until 9.50 the next, just as we open! If anyone reads the attached timetable differently, please do contact me as we have all looked at it and so far as we can see, the above is accurate. Please contact Whippet Coaches on 01954 230 011 for any info on why these times were decided, as we knew nothing about it until the company delivered some leaflets this morning. edit - sorry, I forgot to mention. The service does not run on either day at the weekend, or on any bank-holidays.
It's a good start, in any case! Let us hope it meets with enough success in the local community (overall, not just travelling to the zoo) for a more sensible spread of times to be considered.
Thank you for being so positive TLD! We think the service has nothing whatsoever to do with the zoo, as it leaves our entrance as we open and comes back at lunchtime! It is almost certainly a run designed to take local pensioners on a somewhat convoluted trip into town for a spot of shopping and a coffee+cake, before returning. However, yes it does mean that there is a daily service to us in the middle of the day on week-days, even if there is not a return one. We'll do some digging...! A 'bus-stop' sign has been erected at our entrance today, too...
Indeed, hence my note that it needs to be successful in community terms if they find themselves with more local pensioners than anticipated they might well consider an additional service or two. Time will tell in any case.
Have you considered offering a "glamping" service. I'm sure there's a number of people on here who'd happily pay for dossing down in a sleeping bag in the Binturong House or Australian Aviary/Wombat Complex. More seriously, what an inconsequential gesture by the bus company, given no weekend buses.
