Termini - Going Round the Block

Bus termini are vary in grandeur from purpose built bus station to a run of the mill roadside bus stop . In the days of crew buses, very often the bus would reverse round a corner and head back the way it came. OPO buses don't have conductors to supervise the manoeuvre and these all died out - though will hopefully feature in a future blog. As a result new termini were needed. Three turning circles were built, Staining, Mereside and Midgeland Road, but elsewhere buses tended to go round the block.

Easington Crescent terminus with the rare sight of a Lancet on route 5 - a Sunday only duty for single deckers (Brian Turner)

Grange Park was served by route 5 prior to deregulation and route 6 after it. The 5 entered Grange Park at Chepstow Road and was extended along Dinmore Road as the estate developed eventually terminating with a reversing manoeuvre at Pilling Crescent. Unusually buses then continued a short distance to lay-over in Easington Crescent. The 5 remained crew operated on weekdays until its demise in 1986, but when the Sunday service went OPO in the 1970s, these journeys terminated at Easington Crescent without serving Pilling Crescent. Route 15B also terminated there from 1982 to 1986. Service 6 replaced the 5 in October 1986 but as it was OPO operated with Atlanteans it turned at Easington Crescent.

At times buses in Grange Park have suffered from anti-social behaviour and in the 1990s the evening buses were extended out of the estate to turn at Collegiate High School - a rare use of a school terminus for anything other than school services. This ended in April 2001 when the Metro network saw a terminal loop introduced, buses entering the estate at Pilling Crescent and operating clockwise. Easington Crescent has since been abandoned - and the shops/flats by the stop demolished.

Whiteholme (Current view)

'Whiteholme' terminus was probably the least distinct of all - and is represenatitive of municipal parochialism. Logic suggested route 8 - as all routes in this area now do would continue the short distance to Cleveleys but instead it turned here at the borough boundary. 584 has arrived via Anchorsholme Lane and turned right onto Luton Road - the boundary with Wyre crossing the road immediately behind the bus. (Brian Turner)

The story of buses to Anchorsholme is covered in the post on Haddle House Estate. For a period buses terminated at 'Whiteholme', route 7B/7C running in a circular around Anchorsholme, though to 1982 these were replaced by the 8 which terminated in a small loop via North Drive and Anchorsholme Lane East then back via Luton Road to North Drive. The route passed to Fylde in October 1986 under contract to Lancashire County Council and it was logically extended to Cleveleys in 1987. Nearby was the mid 1970s Grassington Place terminus of service 9 which involved Swifts turning via Grassington Place, Fir Tree Place and Bovington Avenue on the return journey. 

Bispham Cavendish Road (current view)

Atlantean 336 poses at Cavendish Road terminus. To reach the stop the bus passed behind the camera on Northgate, turned left to pass the two cars to the left of the bus and swung left onto the stop. Today the entry into Northgate is closed, buses only pass this point on Illuminations diversions on Lines 3 and 4. (Brian Turner)

Service 15A (Hospital to Bispham via Town Centre and Warbreck Hill Road) terminated for many years on the track fan of Bispham Tram Depot (now Sainsbury's car park). This closed in 1963 and the 15A was shown as terminating at Bispham Hotel. Certainly by 1972 Cavendish Road was in use as the service had been converted to OMO. The 15 (Staining to Blackpool) was also extended to Bispham from 1980 but terminus ceased to be used at deregulation with the 15 terminating at Bispham Library instead.

Victoria Hospital

Atlantean 344 lays over on service 15B to Bispham 583 on service 23A to South Pier behind - this remains the main stop for Victoria Hospital  (Brian Turner)

Route 15A was the first service to terminate at Victoria Hospital starting in 1936 from the Town Centre via Newton Drive. It was later extended to Bispham. Initially it reversed at the Hospital but around 1942 loop working was introduced with buses arriving via Whinney Heys Road to terminate at Whinpark Avenue and returning via North Park Drive. 1946 saw the 22 extended from Layton to Victoria Hospital, though this was replaced by the 23 to South Pier in 1956. For many years the other Newton Drive buses (2 to Poulton and 15 to Staining) did not call into the Hospital, dropping passengers on Newton Drive either side of St Walburga's Roundabout. From 1980 the 15 called in on journeys to Blackpool but it was not until 1991/2 that the 2/2A were diverted into the Hospital. All buses followed the same loop regardless of direction.

In 1996 the 23/23A were diverted to the Women's Unit further into the Hospital running up Whinney Heys Lane and turning in the car park before serving the main stops. Line 5 took over this role in 2001 and the Lifestyle Line L1 in 2003. From 2006 the L1 (now the 16) was revised to run round the extended perimeter road of the Hospital emerging near the Zoo. Cleveleys bound buses still serve the main stops, but Cleveleys bound ones don't. Currently the 5 terminates at the Hospital; the 2/2C, 15 and 16 pass through as do Stagecoach services 74 and 84, Cumfybus 75 and Coastal 76.

Lindale Gardens and Halfway House

Lindale Gardens is currently served by the 5 in a clockwise loop - the route has suffered reliability problems at times, hence two Solos waiting to turn into Squires Gate Lane. The former route 13 terminus was to the rear of the second bus.  (Brian Turner)

Lindale Gardens was the terminus of route 13 form Blackpool via Ansdell Road and Marton Drive. This started in 1934 and initially terminated at Kingsmede part way down the road but from 1949 it was extended to Squires Gate Lane. It turned round via Faringdon Avenue, Westby Avenue and Squires Gate Lane to terminate on Lindale Gardens. This remained the pattern until 1976 when the 13 was replaced by the diversion of alternate journeys on route 5 to Halfway House. Buses ran either via St. Annes Road (5) or Lindale Gardens (5A) and returned via the opposite route until their withdrawal in 1986. Briefly after deregulation route 23 terminated at Lindale Gardens and is believed to have used the same turning arrangement as the 13, but this was soon extended to Halfway House. Various combinations of the 22A, 23 and 25 perpetuated the Lindale Gardens loop until the 12A was introduced in August 1988 which performed an anticlockwise version via St. Annes Road and back to town via Lindale Gardens. Other than a brief period of two way operation via Lindale Gardens to terminate at the roundabout near Morrisons in 1996 this was retained until Line 5 replaced the 12A in 2001 and operated in the opposite direction. 

Halfway House terminus. 501 awaits departure for Cleveleys on the 22 - though the number blind has not yet been reset. It has turned in the junction behind Atlantean 304 which has arrived from Lindale Gardens as a 5A. PD3 513 on the left is also awaiting departure for Grange Park but will turn left behind the pub to run via Lindale Gardens. Clearly someone is late or early as 513 was due to arrive five minutes after 304 left.  (Brian Turner)

Services 22/22A terminated at Halfway House operating via St. Annes Road and did a large u-turn in the mouth of the junction with Squires Gate Lane. Back then only the section from Halfway House to Common Edge Road was dual carriageway so this manoeuvre was feasible. Lytham/Fylde did likewise on service 1 which approached via Squires Gate Lane.

St. Annes Square

Trident 316 is about to set off from St Georges Road where buses have laid over for several years - usually unoffically!  (Brian Turner)

In St. Annes buses that arrive via the Crescent to terminate have traditionally run via Garden Street, St Georges Road and Clifton Drive to reach the stops in the Square. The 17, 18 and Coastal 76 currently do this. The 11C and 14 did previously as did various Fylde local services.

When service 193 terminate in St. Annes Square during the 1990s it initially turned via Wood Street, Orchard Road and the Square to load on Clifton Drive South, but later followed the traditional route by unloading in the Square turning via Garden St/St Georges Road to the Clifton Drive South loading stop.

Buses terminating at St. Annes from Blackpool used to unload on Clifton Drive South, turn via Wood Street, Orchard Road and the Square to reach Clifton Drive North departure stop. Route 12 was the last to do this during the 1990s. During the 1990s the terminating 12 and 22A used Beach Road, St. Annes Promenade, St. Annes Road West to Clifton Drive North and Metro Line 11 followed this.

Promenade service 1 ran to St. Annes in the 1990s with some journeys taking the Beach Road route and others running down to Links Road to serve Promenade Hotels.

Spring Gardens (current view)

The embayment on Hoyle Avenue at Spring Gardens was the terminus for the 193. Here Fylde's former Grimsby Fleetline 48 awaits departure in May 1987. At that time alternate 193s ran to Blackpool so the service operated in both directions on Hoyle Avenue as does the 17 today.  (Brian Turner)

Spring Gardens is part of a housing estate in St. Annes first served by local route 3 in the 1950s. This was later replaced by joint Fylde/Ribble route 193 from Spring Gardens to Wesham - buses terminating via Blackpool Raod Kilnhouse Lane, Derwent Road and Hoyle Avenue to Spring Gardens terminus and back via Boness Avenue and Blackpool Road. In 1989 Spring Gardens ceased as a terminus for the 193 with the 11C (later 14 and now 17) diverted through instead operating in both directions via Hoyle Avenue. From June 1987 to February 1988 the St. Annes Handybus service but, as seen on this map, it followed a different route through the housing estate.

Lytham Square

Atlantean 310 squeezes past a VW Bettle on the turn into Pleasant Street from Westby Street in August 1980  (Brian Turner)

Buses terminating in Lytham Square during the 1950s and 1960s turned via Park Street, Westby Street where they laid over, then Pleasant Street to the stop in Clifton Street. Ribble buses approached via East Beach, Dicconson Terrace and terminated in Hastings Place itself before returning via Westby Street, Park Street and Dicconson Terrace. Fylde moved the Westby Street layover point to the Railway Station in the 1970s and this was kept when Blackpool's 22 replaced the joint 11 in 1983. Buses approached Lytham from South Park and unloaded on Park Street, turning right onto Clifton St, Market Square, Hastings Place to the Railway Station for their 13 minute layover and then reached Lytham Square to pick up via Westby St and Pleasant Street. The Railway Station layover point was later dropped with buses turning from Ballam Road into Westby St and waiting time in Lytham Square as the 18 does now.

PD3 506 leaves the Railway Station on route 22A in 1983 shortly after its extension to Lytham  (Brian Turner)

In the 1990s once again buses terminated at Lytham from the Church St direction and turned via Hastings Place, Westby St and Pleasant Street. This route remained for the terminating journeys of Line 7 until recently. In recent years Line 11 has terminated at Lytham Hospital (or more recently outside St Johns Church on East Beach) running via Clifton St, Staiton Road, East Beach, Warton St and Clifton St.

Atlantean 353 puts in a turn on Line 7 at the long established loading point on Clifton Street, Lytham right by the former Lytham St. Annes tram terminus.  (Brian Turner)

 Others

Wordsworth Avenue was the terminus of route 16 for many years and after the conversion to One Man Operation buses turned via Cornwall Place and Kingsley Avenue to reach the stop outside Stanley School. This ended with route 4 in 1987, except for a school service from Mereside to St. Mary's School which continued the manoeuvre until quite recently. Kingsley Avenue has since been made one way in the opposite direction and the area is now served by route 4 which runs to Mereside via Wordsworth Avenue and Kipling Drive.

Westminster Road was the terminus of route 3 form the 1920s to 1980 when it was extended to Cleveleys, though some evening and Sunday journeys still terminated there in the early 1980s. Buses usually terminated via Sherbourne Road, Warley Road and Westminster Road then returned via Cheltenham Road to Sherbourne Road. From 1959 alternate journeys (service 3) terminated at Cromwell Road while the 3A still terminated at Westminster Road. The 3 ran via Claremont Road, Cromwell Road and back via Handworth Road. In the late 1960s both routes were combined to serve both Westminster Road and Cromwell Road but reverted to serve Westminster Road only when the AEC Swifts took over from PD2s in 1975.

Thornton Social Club terminus had a special reversing area constructed but this was hardly used after the regular short workings ceased in the mid 1970s. Thornton terminating journeys restarted in 1987 initially terminating at Trunnah Road but later extended to the Social Club in a loop via West Drive, Amounderness Way and Bourne Way.

South Pier terminus was consistently accessed via Waterloo Road and the Promenade before returning via Station Road and either Bond St or Lytham Road to reach Waterloo Road. More details here.