Imber bus day

[whole diary]

[Bmblbzzz]

I was there with a group of friends a few days before Christmas last year. We arrived just before sunset to find the entire Plain shrouded in fog. Standing at the bottom of the road up to the village, where the buses park, we could not see the church but we could hear the singing from a carol service in progress. Meanwhile, a bunch of squaddies was doing urban warfare exercises in the mock village off to one side. It was a little surreal.

If you visit when a service is not being held, the church is fascinating for its murals and carvings.

[grahame]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

It is feared people are putting their lives at risk by trespassing in to areas where there could be "unexploded ordnance".

I've been up to Imber (when officially open, of course!) a good few times and there have been lots of cattle grazing in the fields all along the way up there, behind lots of "keep out - danger of unexploded shells" signs.

I wonder if the unexploded shells are specially tuned to target humans, if we don't really care if the cattle get hurt, or the possibility of there presence is a great way to exclude the public.

[Bmblbzzz]

I dare say there's a compo deal; so much per cow, so much per bullock, etc, exploded by ordnance. Or of course the farmer just signs a waiver in return for a cheap lease.

[CyclingSid]

Last time I was there I got the "unit trench digger" award? Won't be any of that if I go this year. The village was in better condition then, more of the buildings were recognisable, especially of you got the "guide" book. The FIBUA (Fighting in Built Up Areas) village is an addition, and a fine example of the building standards of the Property Services Agency (PSA). The predecessor to the PSA was the MPBW (Ministry of Public Blunders and Wonders, to "friends") who were even worse and disappeared in, I believe, a cloud of suspicions of financial impropriety.

[ChrisB]

From the Imber Bus mailshot

Imberbus will be running on the 26th August
by The Imberbus Crew
This year's Imberbus event is being held on Saturday 26th August and it is already looking like it will be the biggest one yet, with people coming long distances to ride on a Routemaster bus across the Salisbury Plain to the lost village of Imber and beyond.

To cater for the extra passengers, this year we will be using more than 20 old and new Routemasters to provide our service, some of which have not ventured across the Salisbury plain before. We will also be enhancing the timetable to provide departures every 10-15 minutes from Warminster Station to Imber from 9.45am onwards. On arrival at Imber, some buses will then carry on to our interchange point at Gore Cross, from where they will continue at least once an hour either to Tilshead & Chitterne, or to Brazen Bottom, Market Lavington and New Zealand Farm Camp, with extra journeys operating during the afternoon.

In addition to the 16th century St.Giles' Church at Imber which will be open over the Bank Holiday weekend, this year there will also be a couple of new attractions for our passengers to visit. The Market Lavington Museum, situated next to Market Lavington Church, is opening specially for our event and in addition to exhibiting local artifacts, will be serving cream teas. Refreshments will also be available at our Chitterne terminus in the village hall, which will also house the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Transport sales stall selling a variety of transport orientated books and models, including a limited edition Imberbus model of Routemaster RM1005.

Further details about this year's Imberbus event can be found on our website at www.imberbus.wordpress.com, including maps, timetables, fares and details of how to get to Warminster Station. If you have not been to Imber before, you might also find it useful to take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions page, which provides important information on where you can and cannot go, where you can get something to eat and also the location of public toilets (which are few and far between on the Salisbury Plain!).

IMPORTANT - If you are planning on bringing a group of people to Warminster in a bus or coach, please contact us immediately as there are very few coach parking facilities available in Warminster.

[Rob on the hill]

There's even a railtour going to Imber this year - should be busy at Warminster when it arrives!
http://www.ukrailtours.com/product/by-routemaster-to-the-lost-village-of-imber/

[ChrisB]

sold out very quickly that did!

[martyjon]

Went yesterday.

Fabulous day.

2 Open Toppers working.

Did pass one new vehicle heading towards Imber with its indicator lights flashing 'hazard' on route as we were en- route from Imber to Gore Cross which to us was an indication that the vehicle had encountered a technical problem.

[ChrisB]

Anyone lost a camera on those buses this year?

From Imberbus mailshot

The Imberbus Crew posted: "If you were one of the hundreds of people who joined us at Imber last Saturday, please check your bag to see if your camera is still inside it. If it is missing, please send a description of it to imberbus23a@gmail.com , as we may have found it on one "

[JayMac]

Anyone lost a phone on those buses this year?

Mailshot says camera, not phone.

[ChrisB]

it does, edited. thanks!

[bobm]

One of the buses providing the railway station to depot shuttle for today's Reading Buses open day (see separate thread) was from the fleet used for the annual Imberbus running day.



It reminded me that this year's event is on Sunday Saturday 18th August - https://imberbus.wordpress.com/

Edit - Saturday not Sunday - grahame

[bobm]

It reminded me that this year's event is on Sunday Saturday 18th August - https://imberbus.wordpress.com/
Edit - Saturday not Sunday - grahame

Thanks - muddling Sunday for Saturday is some typo!

[grahame]

Imber bus us 18th August 2018.

From a TransWilts perspective ...

Train from Swindon at 08:36, Chippenham at 08:53, Melksham at 09:02 to Warminster at 09:46 (changing at Westbury) to ride on an old London Routemaster bus to the abandoned village of Imber on Salisbury Plain. Buses run every 15 minutes from Warminster Station to Imber and various destination beyond.  Train fare £7.70 return from Swindon to Warminster, £6.60 return from Chippenham or £4.70 return from Melksham. Imber Bus fares from £2 single up to £10 for an all day rover - see https://imberbus.wordpress.com/imberbus-2018/ for details of routes and timetables.

Return trains from Warminster at 14:12, 16:01 and 18:01 - again, change at Westbury.  No need to prebook - buy your train tickets just before you board the train, and your bus tickets at Warminster Station.

[Clan Line]

There's even a railtour going to Imber this year - should be busy at Warminster when it arrives!
http://www.ukrailtours.com/product/by-routemaster-to-the-lost-village-of-imber/

It was ! The bus queue after the train had arrived..............but it soon dispersed with the number of buses that they had running.
A good day out - recommended to all.



Rail tour arriving at Warminster - longest train ever to call at Warminster ? (Immaculate Class 66 on the front)