DalesBus is a network of bus services, which operate in and around the

Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of the Pennines in the historic county of Yorkshire, England, most of it in the Yorkshire Dales National Park created in 1954. The Dales comprise river valleys and the hills rising from the Vale of York w ...

, England. The network is managed by Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company – a volunteer-run subsidiary of the Yorkshire Dales Society.

History

Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company has managed the DalesBus network of bus services since 2007. Initially, the company managed the operation of a single service between

Ilkley Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, in Northern England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within the ...

and

Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Ai ...

via

Bolton Abbey Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England, takes its name from the ruins of the 12th-century Augustinian monastery now known as Bolton Priory. The priory, closed in the 1539 Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by King He ...

, but has since grown significantly. Services are funded by a number of organisations, including the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

West Yorkshire Metro Metro is the passenger information brand used by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in England. It was formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE) at the same time as the metropolitan county of West Yor ...

and

Yorkshire Dales National Park The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a national park in England covering most of the Yorkshire Dales. Most of the park is in North Yorkshire, with a sizeable area in Westmorland (Cumbria) and a small part in Lancashire. The park was designa ...

, with additional support and funding from local community groups. These popular services carry increasing numbers of passengers, with over 30,000 passengers using the network in 2019/20. Most services operate at weekends and on bank holidays, from Easter until late October, with some services operating year-round. Operated by low-floor single or double-deck buses, the network links major centres of population, such as

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa w ...

and

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

, with the Yorkshire Dales, allowing for walking or enjoyment without the need for a car.

Services and operators

As of 2022, the following services are operated under the DalesBus brand.

Controversy

In 2015,

North Yorkshire County Council North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) is the county council governing the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire; an area composing most of North Yorkshire in England. The council currently consists of 90 councillors. The council is current ...

withdrew

English National Concessionary Travel Scheme The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme is a national scheme by the Department for Transport in conjunction with local authorities across England. The scheme extended the provision of free bus travel within individual local authorities ...

payments for some of these services, regarding them as only for "tourist use" and therefore outside of statutory provision. In the following year, Lancashire County Council made the decision to follow suit, citing similar reasons to do so.

DalesBus Ramblers

DalesBus Ramblers
organise a varied programme of free guided walks in the

. All of the walks are accessible by bus or train, and are open to the general public.

In popular culture

In August 2016, route 830 (operated by Arriva North East), which runs between

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

and Ingleton via

Hawes Hawes is a market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, at the head of Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, and historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The River Ure north of the town is a touri ...

, was the subject of an episode of television series ''

BBC Four Goes Slow ''BBC Four Goes Slow'' is a series of slow television programmes made for BBC Four, each without narration or underscore. The channel's editor, Cassian Harrison, stated that the series is an "antidote ... to the conventional grammar of televisi ...

'' entitled ''All Aboard! The Country Bus''. The episode saw a series record average audience of 800,000.

Notes

References

External links

*
Dales & Bowland CIC
an
(The) Yorkshire Dales Society
on

Companies House Companies House is the executive agency of the company registrars of the United Kingdom, falling under the remit of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. All forms of companies (as permitted by the Companies Act) are in ...

*{{official website, http://www.dalesbus.org/index.html, name=DalesBus website Bus operators in North Yorkshire Bus transport brands Transport in Yorkshire Yorkshire Dales