Public Transport
In the Early Thirties the Omnibus replaced the Trams and MANSFIELD was really well served by the following —
Large operators
Mansfield District Traction Co. with their garage on Sutton
Midland General were also on Sutton Road on the same site
East Midland were situated on Chesterfield Road
Baker Brothers I seem to Remember had a facility on Westfield Lane before you got to Rosemary Street – I am not sure of this.
Wass Brothers had a garage on Westfield Lane at the bottom of Somersall Street where there now is the Redgate Public House.
Trent Motor Traction had their garage was at the bottom of Skerry Hill but could only accomodate single deckers, double deckers used the East Midland Garage
The Smaller Operators
Ebor Bus Co based on Nottingham Road and ran a service to Alfreton via chesterfield Road and Abbott Road and Sutton in Ashfield.
The Red Bus company who operated to Welbeck Colliery Village (now known as Meden Vale), was Based at Mansfield Woodhouse.
Trumans of Shirebrook running services to that area.
Naylor’s who operated a service to Alfreton, was South Normanton based.
There was also Wains Coaches on Big Barn Lane and Taggs Tigers. Both only did private hire, although before some control, they did attempt to run a service to the South Normanton and Alfreton Areas
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I can confirm that Trent buses had a garage at the bottom of Skerry Hill, albeit as I remember it was only a lock up. I can’t remember any servicing being carried out. I don’t remember when they moved out.
The building is now I think, a party shop
With regard to Bevan and Barkers Bus – aka Red Bus Company. I understand that the bus company ended around 1957 and then became Bevan and Barker Ltd for the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles. Indeed the garage was still open and active in Mansfield Woodhouse but now I understand that the company has moved to Colwick in Nottingham.
My Grandfather – Ernest Bevan was one of the brothers involved in the Red Bus Company – family friends recall him when he used to act as a conductor on the bus and was easily recognisable as he only had one arm.
The Red Bus company was Bevan and Barker, based on Leeming Lane North in Mansfield Woodhouse. They continued to trade from the same location as motor engineers but I notice that their premises are up for sale, (November 2020).
Ebor buses. I was very young at the time but I seem to remember some Ebor buses having wooden seats, a bit like park benches? I lived just off Leeming Street South and we had The Red Bus garage just down the road. We were served by the Red Bus Service, Baker Bros, Mansfield&District, Trumans, Midlands and Ebor. We had to pay a penny extra to travel on Ebor as the service through Woodhouse was restricted. All but Ebor terminated at the Grand Cinema in Mansfield.
We also had a private Gittins buses garaged at the top of Sherwood St MW. We went on school trips from Yorke St school in Gittins boneshakers.
One of Bevan & Barkers single decker Red Buses is in a transport museum in the Covent Garden area of London.
As I recall the workers tickets were mainly return tickets.
I do recall the stench of cigarette smoke upstairs on the busses at workers home time!
“Where am I going? I’m going to Duplicate!”
My favourite tram joke from childhood (possibly from pantomime at Winter Gardens, Morecambe.)
Was it an Albert Modley ‘original’?
It’s a handy response when you’re out on the fells and someone asks where you’re heading!
Remember visiting relatives in Leeds and rattling along Street Lane!
Regards Malcolm Rayner & John Allcock’s comments in June 2013. The Trent 61 ran along Sutton Road Kirkby to the Waggon & Horses and then down Chapel St & Victoria Road to the town centre. However the 61A diverged from Sutton Road along (I think) Copeland Rd, Sycamore Ave, Rowan Drive to Hartley Rd regaining lower Victoria Rd from Harcourt St. So if you were waiting higher up on Victoria Rd for the 61 & it was a 61A you missed it!
Hi, I’m working for the Omnibus Society on a publication called MIDLAND.MOG, which will cover the bus garages, outstations, tram depots etc in the Midlands. My knowledge of Mansfield area, and indeed of Mid Gen, Trent, EMMS etc is rather sketchy, and I’m having trouble putting drafts together. For instance, I can’t find a location for Naylor’s garage at S Norm, which I can only assume was on Market Street. I have just found the first Trent garage from posts on your site.
When I have rough drafts, would one (or more ) of you like to examine them, and perhaps expand on my knowledge please?
Thanks
I started as a driver at Mansfield depot in 1955. EM took over Wass bros in 1958. The Mansfield depot was built in 1934
I believe east midland bus depot on chesterfield road was built in the early 1930s and it was extended in 1950s.
Hi Chris, I run a Facebook group about the history of East Midland Motor Services and the companies they absorbed. If you would like to get in contact with me, I can put you in it.
I have full information on Baker Brothers motor services of Warsop; fleet list and pics.
Hi Beresford, The East Midland garage was built in 1934 and extended in 1958
Alan King
Discovered your website today – great. I lived in South Normanton from age 0 to 13, 1949-1963. I remember Naylors, we moved into his house on Ball Hill. Were Naylors buses ex-Trent? I recall matching red and cream livery. Also pre-printed bus tickets on a board with clips … hence the term “clippy”. I remember Naylors bus garage ecoming Trent, and then becoming a furniture store - – ? Scrimshaws ? The Number 3 Mansfield-Alfreton was known as Ebor locally and colloquially. Now I know why; but I also now know Ebor has a Roman connection with York, as one door closes, another opens. Trent 100 took us to either Mansfield or Alfreton. I had two uncles who worked as a team, Jim Appleyard/driver, Pete Goodall/conductor. A “duplicate” ran from our bus stop to school at 8.15. Catching the duplicate was a status symbol. Why??? Caught Trent in Mansfield outside a shoe factory. B4 Midland General MGOC from South Normanton Bottom End to Nottingham. Midland General to get to school – Swanwick, a low-bridge.
regards
Yes Malcolm the 84 was Nottingham to Sutton direct. The 61 did Newstead, Nuncargate and Kirkby estates
On reflection the 84 may have bypassed Nuncargate ???????
If my memory serves me right the Trent 84 Service was a service to Nottingham from Sutton. I could be wrong when you are in your eighties some memories are a bit blurred.
John I seem to recall Trent had a Service 84 if i am correct that service may have been at Mount Street and just ran to Sutton on a slightly different route to the 61
Both the 101 and 106 were made into a circular around Woodhouse in 1970. Funny you should mention a workmans return, nowadays workers pay more with the discounts coming in after 9am. A return from Mansfield to Derby cost £7.30 and £4.50 after 9am. Regarding Nottingham bus station (no dates available due to my location) The Trent 61 went from Mount Street until the New Victoria station opened, MGO B8 went from Huntingdon Street and then the Vic. If anyone else wants to join the MDT/MGO Facebook group, your quite welcome. We have timetable and route experts, plus ex drivers, basically everything you want to know about the two companies
In The Late 70’s and early 80’s I used the 61 service and in those days it ran up Huntingdon Street on to Sherwood Rise to Hucknall and on its merry way. Regarding Mount St. it was sometime after the War when it was opened it was used mainly by Midland General and Bartons certainly in the 40’s & early 50’s catering for Riply, Matlock, Langley Mill and those areas. Prior to the War my father worked for Trent Motors and as a child at weekends and holidays I would spend many days with him at work. and spent a considerable time at the Huntingdon Street Bus Station which was mainly Trent Buses and other operators that ran services to the east of Nottingham I cannot recall MGO Buses being on that site.
John Alcock, we may be at cross purposes here, the 106 service left the Sunnydale/ Brown Ave. jct. headed along Brown Ave. and along Vale Rd to the junction of Station St. and Vale Rd and onto Mansfield etc. I left school in March 1952 and boarded the 106 on Vale Rd. opposite Mayhall Ave where I purchased my WORKMANS RETURN! what happened to that discount? From your entry you inferred the 106 was extended along Albert St to the Sunnydale Pub. Beech Tree Ave. estate came later.
Thanks Tom,that 106 was bothering me, as soon as I saw “Leamington Drive” I realised my mistake. I can now correct another error – the Nottingham bus station I referred to, Mount Street, was not the one I was thinking of. Huntingdon Street was the one adjacent to Victoria Station, Mount Street was off Derby Road and was the one used by the Trent no. 61 from Mansfield Stockwell Gate, outside the Mansfield Shoe Company.
Tom I seem to recall the 106 terminated at the top of Leamington drive considering tha Huthwaite was not only served by MDT the Midland General (a sister company and part of the large group of companies serving a large area) it is highly unlikely it went to Huthaite as the MGO servives to The Clay Cross area towards chesterfield ran services via Huthwaite
Thanks John, hope I found the right John Allcock – works for Trent Barton and lives in Pleasley. If not, there’s now a mystified “J.A.” out there.
Hi Martin, if you want to join the group you will have to friend request me on Facebook and then I can add you
Hi Martin, ref the 106 service! the route was from Brown Ave, Mansfield Woodhouse roundabout, Sunneydale Pub, [terminus] via Mansfield to Sutton.I am not sure if it followed the 101 service to Huthwaite, it may have terminated at Leamington Drive in Sutton. The Brown Ave. estate was started in the late 1940s, which was a fair way from the 101 route, the 106 joined the 101 route at Vale Rd/Station St. junction.
Tom Shead, the 106 ran from Albert square, later in the sixties extended to the top of Park Hall Road/ Beach Tree Avenue and then onto Mansfield, Kings Mill along Unwin Road Eastfield Side then into Sutton, turned up Forest Street and ten into Leamington Drive estate, the 101 ran from The Sunnydale and finished on Huthwaite Market
I don’t know if I’m allowed to put links on here but if anyone does want to join MDT/MGO group on Facebook this is the link. https://www.facebook.com/groups/mdtmgo/
As someone who took a very great interest in Mansfield District (in modern, derogatory, parlance, some would say “anorak like”) from 1950, at the age of 7, when we moved into the new council estate at the junction of Westfield Lane/Abbott Road, I seem to think that there are some anomalies in previous comments. As I remember, and I was so keen that I had each issue of the MDT timetable!, the routes were as follows: 1. Mansfield – Langwith 2. Mansfield – New Ollerton 3. Mansfield – Alfreton 4. Mansfield – New Houghton (subsequently taken over by the 102 Pleasley service) Routes 1 – 4 were all ex Ebor which I think was taken over sometime in 1950/1. 101. Mansfield Woodhouse – Queen Street – Huthwaite – Regent Street – Mansfield Woodhouse. 102. Nottingham Road (cemetery) – Queen Street – Pleasley ( with an extension added later to New Houghton) – Market Street – Nottingham Road. 103. Forest Town/Crown Farm – Queen Street – Bull Farm – Regent Street – Forest Town/Crown Farm. 104. Brougham Avenue/Hall Street (I don’t think this was a frequent service, possibly peak time, Hall Street, I think, may have been off Chesterfield Road but Brougham Avenue remained a mystery to me. The older AECs were used for this service. 105. Mansfield (Station Hill) – Blidworth. 106. Mansfield – Church Warsop. 107. Berry Hill – Queen Street – Ladybrook Lane, where the town stop was on the return to Berry Hill I can’t remember. 108. Mansfield (Station Hill) – Blidworth. 109. Queen Street (stand shared with 101) – Unwin Road (Sutton in Ashfield). 112. In about 1956? took over the Bull Farm route from the 103. 207. Mansfield (Station Hill?) – Eakring, this route number also appeared to be used for miners’ services. 208. Mansfield (Station Hill) – Newark. 209. As above. 210. Mansfield (Station Hill) – Bingham (this was also used for the special service to Royal Air Force Newton for the annual Battle of Britain Open Day and departed from Queen Street). 211. Mansfield (Station Hill) – Gunthorpe Bridge. (This, however, might actually have been Gunthorpe Bridge to Nottingham Mount Street (if that was the bus station adjacent to Victoria Station)) 212. Mansfield (Station Hill) – Newark. (A later addition). 213. Can’t remember, please remind me. 214. Likewise, although they may also have been Newark services. 215. Memory fails again, and with the 216. 217/218. Mansfield (Station Hill) – Newark. Whilst I have no doubts about most of the 100 series routes, I am now wondering whether I was wrong with the 106, was it 206 to Church Warsop? I now think it was. If so what really was the 106? Someone please remind me. Where do I find the Facebook groups by John Alcock please?
Regarding Ebor Bus Co, they used to operate a service to New Houghton, route number 1 as I recall. It ran from the beginning of Chesterfield Road departing at 20 mins to the hour and returning from New Houghton church on the hour.
Ref my previous submission I seem to remember there were two railway bridges in the town that double decker buses could not pass under one was certainly on Belvedere Steet which caused Trent Motors to change the Nottingham Direct Service terminus from the Shoe Co to Nottingham Road when the Double Decker’s came into service The bridge at the bottom of Littleworth was I believe the same hence a single deck Route
At our age memories may not be that accurate but I lived on Carter Lane eventually moving to the top of Westfield Lane, the 104 was certainly Mansfield to Hall Street but not that frequent. As I recall the date of the change in extending the 102 route was after I left High Oakham School in 1948. The Bull Farm route service 112 dropped off passengers outside Boots on the Market Place and picked up on the return journey opposite Syd Booths. The service to Berry Hill Water Tower (the route number I do not recall ) I seem to recall was a single decker and ran from the top of Midworth Street outside what was the Hipperdrome and ran down Brunts Street up Littleworth returning but using Church Lane to the top of Midworth Street. This was of course prior to the major developments in the Town Centre which caused a lot of RE ROUTING of all BUS SERVICES in the town unfortunately
Hi Malcolm As I remember it,the 102 used to run from Meden Square,down Chesterfield Road, along Clumber Street,down Regent Street stopping outside the Electricity Showrooms,the terminus.It then returned via Westgate. Sometime after 1947/8 the route was extended to Nottingham Road Cemetry,the town centre stop being the Market Place .The return town centre stop was as you suggested on Queen St but the jewellers shop was Martin Wilkinsons. The !04 route ran from Bull Farm to Berry Hill via Abbot Rd,Westfield Lane,Rosemary St,Stockwell Gate,Queen Street,Albert Street,Brunt Street,Littleworth,Berryhill Road,Berry Hill Lane. I am sorry I cannot be more accurate on the dates of the changes but they may coincide with the introduction of the one way systems to the town.
If anyone is interested, I run Facebook Groups on the history of all 4 local bus companies. Lots of information especially on MDT and MGO with photos, route history etc
Ken my reolections of the 102 are mainly around the time there was many changes in The MTD services The !03 originally from Crown Farm And periodically i seem to think on the hour to The cemetary I do not recall the 102 prior to the building of the Ladybrook Estate but around that time the changes i recall were The routes changed 103 was from Crown Farm to Ladybrook Dropping off ouside Boots picking up outside the Queens Head The Return Journey used Regent Street with the 101 and 106 Prior to the changes The !02 became Notts Road to Pleasley and New Houghton using Queen St outside Bettisons jewellers The Reverse Jouney ran and picked up and set down outside the Westminster Bank Did the 102 just come down WestGate Dropping off and picking up on Regent Street
Ken, Alan, gentlemen, my apologies for ever doubting your recollections of the East Midland Motor Services garage on Chesterfield Rd. It seems the garage was indeed built before the war, EMMS moved from Pelham Street to Chesterfield Rd in 1939. However despite my best efforts I’ve not been able to locate any photos at all of Pelham Street depot or anything showing the Chesterfield Rd depot before 1948.
Thank you Berisford. I hadn’t picked up on the Regent Street construction.I remember catching the 102 bus,the Chesterfield Road route to Bull Farm and if you sat on the upper deck you could see into the car park which extended from M&S to Clumber Street with no other buildings on Regent Street.This was before they made the road one way which must have been about 1950
Yes, I’d agree with your observation Ken, the two pictures do look as if they were on the same flight. The one of the town shows Regent Street in constuction which I believe was mid 30’s, so the bus depot was after 35 but before 45?
Regarding NCCM000076, If you look at NCCW002642, taken in the 1930’s, I believe that both photographs were taken on the same flight.
There is a book called East Midland which contains photographs by GHF Atkins and there are several photograph’s of East Midland buses parked outside the depot and they are dated as early as 1948.
Ken and Alan, spurred on by your recollections I’ve done some digging about and it seems that the photo in the Notts archive is wrong and you both are right. I’ve found photographic evidence that the East Midland bus depot was standing at least as early as 1948. I’ll keep looking. Ken, you remember it before 1945 and thus, I assume, it must have been built before the war? It doesn’t look like a 30’s building though.
Hi Alan I have written a message to your High Oakham Memories. Perhaps you will recall some of the names that I have added.
Regards Ken H
PS.I would suggest that NCCM000P76 was taken at the same time as NCCWOO2642
I too thought the East Midland Bus Station was on Chesterfield Road before the 1950’s….Close to the Technical College…Ken your name sounds very familiar . Was it Moor Lane School, High Oakham? Or maybe we were in the same class….I will say hello anyway….Regards…Alan.
Well Ken, that’s interesting inasmuch as if you type ‘NCCM000076’ into Google you’ll get (1st result) a picture of 1950’s West Gate clearly showing the bus depot land as unused! Have a look.
When I was a young lad,I lived at Bull Farm and on Sunday afternoons my father and I would walk to Mansfield to Leeming Street Methodist Sunday School.This was during the war and I am sure that the East Midland Bus garage was there then. It was certainly there before 1945 when I used to go to High Oakham school.
Hi Malcom, you are correct that Trent buses were based on Newgate Lane / Skerry Hill junction. The 1956 gazateer shows Trent next door to Jacques the Grocers at no. 178 Newgate Lane. Across the road is Drs Burgess and Mcnamara, names mentioned by other correspondents. I sometimes travelled to Clipstone in 1954 by bus which came up Sandy Lane and Pecks Hill and remember seeing the buses, as you state only Single Deckers.
Regarding the small bus companies, they were taken over by the larger ones in or around the late fifties or early sixties. Mansfield District certainly took over the Ebor and I think Bevan & Barker (Red Bus Company ). East Midland took Wass Brothers, Baker Bros and I assume Trumans. Baker Bros was a Warsop based company and were not on Westfield Lane. Redferns a much later company in the area may have had a depot much later, which I again assume was an extension of the Removal Company in the area and later part of a Worksop Company and mainly a Private Hire company. Trent Motor Company took over Naylors. With reference to East Midland it seems their main Depot was at Clowne, the last bus to Mansfield always changed both driver and conducter at Clowne before carrying on to the Mansfield Depot.
Beresford re East Midland I always remember the Garage being there but if you say it wasn’t built until 1950 maybe they operated from their depots at Clowne and Chesterfield. But I seem to remember it in the late Forties when I used to go to the Westfield Folk House and I fail to recall the spare plot of land you refer to as for Trent the garage still stands and although when I visit Mansfield it is now I believe a Motor Cycle Garage/Shop next to the Butchers which was Arthur Bramwells and still is a Butchers shop. For many years there was a sign in the Nursery Steet area on a plot of Land stating it was to be a new Garage for Trent Motors that I remember well from the late Thirties but along came the War
You’ve got most of the operators covered there Malcolm, however, a couple of points. Firstly the East Midland garage on Chesterfield Road wasn’t built until the mid 50’s, so where did they keep their vehicles, not on the land it seems as aerial photos show it as waste ground? Secondly, Trent at the bottom of Skerry Hill? I can’t find any reference in the Trent history to this depot. Any more info on this? Further, Trent operations in the Mansfield area were very limited, did they need a depot here?
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