Bus Routes

Westmorland is a rural area, and bus sevices can be infrequent. The services below are those that run several times during a weekday, though Sunday services can be very restricted. There are many services that run once a day, or once a week, which have not been listed as they normally cannot be used to visit the pub without large amounts of walking.

Places within Westmorland with pubs serving Real Ale in bold, places outside the branch are in italics. Places where there is a possible rail connection, which may involve a walk, are shown with a .

Most of the major bus routes are run by Stagecoach, though some of the more rural and infrequent services are run by local independent operators.

With the exception of the 555 and X6 routes the bus services stop before 19:00, and Sundays have a much reduced service on all services.

Full details can be found at Traveline or at Westmorland and Furness Bus Services with a Map of Cumbria Bus Routes.

106/506

Kendal-Tebay-Orton-Shap-Clifton-Eamont Bridge-Penrith

Bus service through the centre of the Branch, now greatly reduced in frequency.

508

Penrith-Eamont Bridge-Yanwath-Tirril-Pooley Bridge-Watermillock-Glenridding-Patterdale

Daytime bus serving north shore of Ullswater. Can be used in conjunction with the steamers.

516

Ambleside-Skelwith Bridge-Elterwater-Chapel Stile-Great Langdale

Daytime bus serving the Great Langdale valley. The Three Shires Inn at Little Langdale can be reached by a 1½ mile mountain walk from Chapel Stile.

555

Lancaster-Burton in Kendal-Holme-Milnthorpe-Heversham-Low Sizergh-Kendal-Staveley-Ings-Windermere-Troutbeck Bridge-Ambleside-Rydal-Grasmere-Keswick

Possibly the most useful bus service in the branch, the 555 is one of the longest bus routes in the country that stops at every stop on the route. Some buses do not go all the way from Lancaster to Keswick, in summer some buses use the M6 between Lancaster and Kendal, and some may be numbered 554 or 556 instead. Levens can be reached from the Low Sizergh stop, which is called Heaves Hotel.

563

Penrith-Temple Sowerby-Kirkby Thore-Appleby in Westmorland

This service is now just four buses per day during the week. The service has now been withdrawn between Appleby-in-Westmorland and Kirkby Stephen, though there is the odd bus between Kirkby Stephen and Kendal on certain days of the week.

567

Kendal-Oxenholme-Barrows Green-Crooklands-Lupton-Kirkby Lonsdale

There are other buses to Kirkby Lonsdale from Lancaster

599

Grasmere-Rydal-Ambleside-Troutbeck Bridge-Windermere-Bowness on Windermere

An open top bus service. The 505 bus service from Windermere to Coniston also serves Ambleside and Troutbeck Bridge.

X6

Kendal-Low Sizergh-Witherslack-Grange Over Sands-Ulverston-Barrow in Furness

A limited stop bus service formerly the X35. It can now be used for travel between Ulverston and Barrow. Levens can be reached from the Low Sizergh stop, which is called Heaves Hotel. The Barrow Dayrider Plus day ticket can be used on this service.