Bus Shelters

Designed to shelter prospective passengers, rather than buses!

The first scheduled bus service through Steeple Morden was in 1924 and included in the Sale Particulars for The Priory, Church Street in 1929 was the statement “There are occasional services of Motor Omnibuses from the Village to Royston and to London”.

From the 1930s to the 1970s buses were essential and reliable transport for villagers and facilitated employment in nearby towns, but as more people owned cars, demand for buses reduced and services were axed. The Parish Council, though, was still actively building bus shelters in the late 1970s and early 80s, although by then some suggested the shelters should have a plaque attached to explain their purpose and perhaps how to recognise a bus when you saw one. Despite that doom and gloom stance the village is still served in 2023 by a regular, although very limited, service to Royston.

There are three bus shelters in the village. Two are in Hay Street, both on the east side. One to the south sits between Nos 20 and 24 Hay Street, where the small lane emerges from Russell End and Close. The other to the north is outside Franklins Farm, also known as Greenman Farm. The other is on the north side of Litlington Road not far from the junction with The Green.

The Parish Council paid for the erection of the Shelters and remains the owner, with responsibility for maintenance. Each shelter stands on the grass verge forming part of the highway, which is the responsibility of the Highway Authority; the Cambridgeshire County Council. The siting would have been with the agreement of the Highway Authority, granted presumably by licence, rather than formal lease.