Bath - Melksham - Devizes. Bus route changes, new timetable
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2008-07-26 16:44:52 - Graham Ellis
Bus service (route and timetable) between Bath and Melksham
Update - August 2010 As from 5th September 2010, there are major changes to the buses from Bath to Melksham, Devizes and beyond. See [here] for new route diagram and times.
Bus routes have changed recently. The former First routes X71 and X72 have been replaced by the 271, 272 and 273. Faresaver also run a service, which is their route 272.
If you're wondering why the service numbers have changed ... it's because the route has altered beyond Devizes. Until recently, the buses continued on past Devizes via Potterne, West Lavington, Market Lavington and Easterton where they terminates and turned around apart from a very few which carried on and turned around at Urchfont. I understand that there were safety concerns about the turning point at Easterton, so the buses now travel alternately from Devizes via Urchfont and via Potterne to Easterton, allowing them to carry on through that village (as the route comes in at opposite ends) without having to turn around. Buses running via Potterne are route 272, and via Urchfont are route 273.
Route 271 runs from Bath to Devizes, and takes a different route in Melksham, serving Queensway and Melksham Forest rather that Well House Manor and Spa Road.
Buses via Whitley do not bear a different number - you just have to know which buses they are if you want to go there!
First's Bath to Melksham bus timetable
Buses leave Bath for Melksham (Well House Manor) and onward to Devizes as follows:
Monday to Friday: 07:00 and every hour to 17:00, then at 20:20
Saturday: 09:00 and every hour to 17:00, then at 20:20
Sunday: 10:30, every TWO hours to 18:30 and then at 19:30
Buses leave from the stop in front of Well House Manor (Melksham) for Bath at
Monday to Saturday: 07:37, 09:05 and every hour to 20:05, and 22:20
Sunday: 10:34 and every 2 hours to 20:34, then 21:34
The above buses are on routes 272 and 273.
Route 271 does NOT serve Well House Manor, but is does serve Melksham town centre; addition service as follows:
From Melksham, Monday to Friday at 07:00 and 07:27
From Bath, Monday to Saturday at 17:40, 18:20 and 23:08
It is a walk of about five minutes from Well House Manor to the Town Centre
Buses leave Bath for Melksham (Well House Manor:
Monday to Friday: 08:55, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 16:33 and 17:33
An additional bus at 14:33 runs to Melksham Town Centre only.
Buses leave from the stop in front of Well House Manor (Melksham) for Bath at
Monday to Friday: 07:32, 09:10, 10:10, 11:10, 12:10, 13:10 and 15:50
• Tickets are NOT interchangeable between the operators.
• Journey times 45 to 50 minutes
• Sunday service applies on bank holidays
• No buses on Christmas day or Boxing Day
• Times at Well House Manor are approximate
• Faresaver operate via Kingsdown and First via Box
Bus service (route and timetable) between Bath and Melksham