One of Northumberland's most popular historic houses will be connected to the centre of Newcastle by bus for the first time ever this year.
The X14 service, operated by Arriva, will run via Cragside to create direct links with Rothbury, Morpeth and Newcastle, dropping visitors off at the entrance to the estate. The journey is expected to take just under an hour and a half from its start point at Haymarket bus station in Newcastle city centre to what is billed as "Britain's first ever smart home."
It will cost £2 one-way until Friday June 30 due to the Government's bus fare cap scheme. Steven Bridgett, County councillor for the Rothbury Division welcomed the new bus route, but hopes that it will also boost tourism for Rothbury and the surrounding area, as well as benefitting local residents who work at the site.
He said: "The new route that includes Cragside will hopefully encourage more people to visit Cragside House and Gardens and provide better transport links for local residents employed at the Cragside Estate.
"But ultimately, it is hoped that by providing better transport links between Cragside and Rothbury, that this will encourage more people who visit Cragside, to come and visit Armstrong’s village of Rothbury, than the small fraction we currently get. Our tourist offering doesn’t begin and end at Cragside and Rothbury & Coquetdale has a lot to offer for anyone that enjoys walking, hiking, biking, stunning scenery, a rich local history and a great selection of local independent retailers."
The bus route has been put in place in time for Easter activities at the National Trust property, which includes an Easter Egg trail, an egg and spoon obstacle course, and a build a bird's nest station. Steve Howard, the National Trust's visitor operations manager and experience manager at Cragside, said: "As our popular Easter trails and activities start, we’re hoping people will consider visiting us using public transport and join us in taking action against climate change.
"Greener transport is about being kind to places and people and can be part of a fun day out. Catching a train or bus, we think, adds to the day’s adventure. And now, for the first time, you can get the X14 bus from Newcastle to Cragside, Britain’s original smart home. Plus, until Friday 30 June, it’s just £2 for a single as part of government’s bus fare cap scheme."
A spokesperson for Arriva, who operate the service, said: "We are excited to extend the X14 service into such a wonderful tourist attraction allowing 1000s of visitors to travel to Cragside in an environmentally conscious and cost-effective way."
Changes have also been made to the 15 service, operated by Phoenix, which connects Cragisde with Thropton, Rothbury, Edlingham and Alnwick. From Mondays to Saturdays, the service will be re-numbered 471 and will run to a revised timetable with three journeys instead of two in each direction per day.
For more information on the X14 route from Newcastle city centre to Cragside, visit the Arriva website. For more information on Cragside, including opening times and entry fees, visit its entry on the National Trust website.
Will you take a day trip to Cragside now that there's a direct bus service? Let us know!
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