Littleborough from Cleggswood Hill
Buses and Bus Services
Compiled with the grateful assistance of Ian Holt and Geoff Kerr
DEVELOPMENT OF BUS SERVICES IN LITTLEBOROUGH
Early Horse Drawn Coach services
There have been regular road based public transport services in the Littleborough for some 250 years. Initially, it was by horse drawn ‘Coaches’ which were first operated over the Blackstone Edge Turnpike circa 1774 when 3 regular Manchester to Leeds Coaches operated each week. Later, coaches operated to Todmorden over the Calderbrook Turnpike. By 1781 Coach services over the Blackstone Edge Turnpike were daily and by 1825 the much improved Blackstone Edge Road was completed to the satisfaction of the Inspector General of Mails (for the use by Mail Coaches) such that 6 coaches operated daily between Rochdale and Halifax – Shuffle, Perseverance, High Flier, Defiance, Duke of Leeds and Commerce (see sketch of Stage coach outside the White House). Not long afterward, in 1826 there were regular Stage Coaches from Todmorden to Manchester via Summit. With the coming of the railway to Littleborough and then through Summit Tunnel towards Todmorden and Leeds these coach services ceased operation.
Whist it is probable that irregular local coaches operated around Littleborough connecting with the trains, many local people walked often considerable distances on a regular basis. However, the first recorded Omnibus began running from Rochdale to Littleborough in May 1877 with fares inside 5d and outside 4d. In June 1879 Omnibus Timetables were published for Rochdale (Reed Hotel) to the Falcon Inn in Littleborough and from Falcon Inn to Summit (see Horse Bus in Norden as an example). But these soon faced competition by the new Steam Trams which operated from Rochdale to Littleborough (Falcon Inn) and lasted until 1905 when they were replaced by electric Trams. The electric trams ran from Rochdale to Littleborough and thence to the Summit Inn.
Motor Bus Services
The first regular bus service in Littleborough was operated by Todmorden Corporation when they extended their service from Todmorden to Steanor Bottom (pictured sepia right) to the Summit pub in 1921.
Rochdale Corporation was a late entry into motor bus operation not obtaining powers until the Rochdale Corporation Act of 1925. Littleborough began agitating for a local service to link the trams with the surrounding areas. And these began in August 1926 when an hourly service ran between Littleborough Square and Hollingworth Lake (Fisherman’s Inn) via Smithy Bridge. On return to Littleborough the bus ran alternately to Shore and to Clough Road, giving each a 2-hourly service. After Rochdale ceased operating Trams it led to rapid increases in the number of bus services operated in and through Littleborough. Some actually commenced before then as in January 1928 a daily limited stop bus service between Rochdale and Todmorden started, jointly operated by Rochdale and Todmorden Corporations, offering a 40 minute interval service for most of the day. At worktimes Todmorden buses stated/ended Fothergill and Harvey's Sladen Wood Mill - pictured below right.
A through service from Halifax to Rochdale via Blackstone Edge was taken over by the LMS railway company in December 1928. On the 19th October 1930 Rochdale Corporation buses replaced trams on the Rochdale to Littleborough to Summit service creating the necessity for passengers to change at the Summit Inn for most journeys between Littleborough and Todmorden. This remained for nearly 40 year. Even now, the road is still wider outside the Summit to enable the respective buses to turn around.
Besides the Rochdale and Todmorden services, Ribble operated a Preston-Blackburn-Haslingden-Edenfield-Rochdale 244, which operated hourly for much of the day. For a time in the 1960s it was operated jointly with Scout Motor Services as a Blackpool-Rochdale service, numbered 158. The service ran in Rochdale under protected revenue arrangements, which was probably also true for the Hebble service to Halifax and Leeds and Ribble's X4 Burnley-Manchester service. This meant that the services could not be used for local journeys within the Rochdale CT operating area, and any such journeys made had to be at a minimum fare. The 244/159 could be used from any of the bus stops in the Rochdale area (via Mellor St) to points beyond Norden, but not to bus stops before Norden.
Pictured bottom right and below - Rochdale Corporation single decker and double decker buses in Littleborough Square
The National Bus Company
Whilst most services in Littleborough were operated by Rochdale and one by the Todmorden Joint Omnibus committee, Ribble and Hebble were owned by the BET Group in which the railway companies had a large financial interest. The group was nationalised in 1967 and from 1969 became part of the National Bus company
Passenger Transport Executives and similar Organisations
No significant changes to local authority and a few other bus service occurred locally until the passing of the1968 Transport Act led to Rochdale Corporation buses being absorbed by SELNEC Buses (South East Lancashire, North East Cheshire) in 1969. Over time the traditional Cream and Blue livery was replaced by Orange. Further changes occurred in 1974 when SELNEC was replaced by GMPTE (Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive). One of their standard double-deck buses is pictured outside the Summit Inn.
A similar change affected West Yorkshire when in September 1971 the Joint Operator committees of Todmorden and Halifax merged to form Calderdale Joint Omnibus Committee later becoming part of West Yorkshire PTE.. An important benefit for Littleborough of these organisational changes was that in June and October 1973 all-day services operated through from Littleborough to Todmorden, Halifax and Burnley without the change at the Summit Inn. In the mid-1980sthese were changed such that when through services operated between Rochdale - Littleborough - Todmorden - Halifax and Burnley providing 2 buses per hour throughout the day. from Todmorden to Summit to direct to RochdaleThe 1985 Transport Act resulted in the privatisation of bus services as and from 26th October 1986 . The new arrangements heralded much change with for example taking over some longer distance services. this and others smaller operators sought to enter the service bus market place often operating subsidised routes. Many changes didn’t last long and neither did the smaller operators except Rosso which became a regular feature in Littleborough. Later owned by the Transdev Blazefield Group, it operated a network of services from Littleborough to the lake and then Rochdale via Hollingworth Road. Not all changes were positive with some reduction in services and reliability issues affecting the Halifax service via Ripponden. The direct bus services to Burnley was lost albeit a train service was available from 2021.
The Bee Network
Andy Burnham, when Mayor of Greater Manchester, obtained government approval to enable Grater Manchester to operate a 'Transport for London' style public/private bus network wherein Transport of Greater Manchester specifies the whole Network of Bus Route and private operators tender for individual or generally groups of services. Commencing in 2023, it was extended across Greater Manchester. What with the reduction in frequency on the Halifax to Rochdale dropping to hourly and a poorly planned Bee Network affecting Littleborough, the town has now probably got its worst network for some years (2026)
Charabanc, Coaches and other services
Charabancs excursions (or Charas in the vernacular – often still used by older people to refer to Coach trip) were popular from between the wars and later. Technically, a Charabanc had doors to each bay of seats and sometimes shared a chassis with a wagon or lorry. Excursions often left from local hostelries or churches and chapels. Interesting enough, coach excursions were often run from seaside locations to Hollingworth Lake and many a local on a mystery trip found themselves not far from home! Tour operators still pick up in Littleborough but these may be by a shuttle service. Coach services to Football matches both home and away remain popular journeys from Littleborough.
Pictured right - Early Richard Jay Coach on excursion from Summit (in background)
Richard Jay (Later Richard Jay Ltd)
Suffolk born Richard Jay had moved to Norden by 1871 where he worked in the Textile trade but on securing employment at Broadfield Mill he moved to Littleborough where in 1901 Richard was an Insurance Agent and Poultry Dealer. 2 years later he was advertising his services as a Carrier - see here. In 1910 Richard had built a new house, 'Caldermount' on Calderbrook Rd. Richard Jay constructed his garage on the corner of Calderbrook Road and Hare Hill Road next to his house. Both buildings are still in us but used by others. However, the old garage still shows R Jay Ltd on the top corner of the building (2024.
Returning to earlier times, in September1910 Richard Jay advertised:
PARTIES Requiring Cars, Landaus, Waggonettes are invited to apply for terms to R Jay, CALDERMOUNT, LITTLEBOROUGH
In 1914 his advertising had taken a different direction
RICHARD JAY
COAL MERCHANT, CARRIER & COACH OPERATOR
Enquiries receive prompt attention
Tel 65 LITTLEBOROUGH
By early 1920, Richard Jay was advertising “Engagements are now being booked for our NEW 28 SEATER CHAR-A-BANC FOR OUR 1920 SEASON” By May 1920 the adverts referred to “BOOK YOUR SEATS AT ONCE TO AVOID DIS-APPOINTMENT BY OUR NEW LEYLAND 28 SEATER ‘THE CALDER QUEEN’”. Richard and his company continued to be prolific advertisers except during WW2 through which he did not live as he died in 1941. The business of Richard Jay Ltd was continued by his sons and family for some 20 years before the Company went out of business in 1961. Its 4 coaches and licences were purchased by Littleborough Motors Ltd making a fleet of 6. Littleborough Motors Ltd, continued in operation until selling out to Yelloway in 1969/70. Ellen Smith Coaches also had some interest in the 1969/70 acquisition because it left Yelloway with an overwhelming majority of excursion work in the Rochdale area. Subsequently, it seems that Yelloway and Ellen Smith came to an agreement to share the work arising out of the acquisition. No vehicles were involved in Yelloway's acquisition.
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