Depots A - B
Aberaeron
(possibly) Aeron Garage, Alban Square, Aberaeron
from February 1925 until 1929
Riverside Parking, Market Street, Aberaeron
from 1929 until March 1949
Lower Regent Street, Aberaeron SA46 0HZ
from March 1949 until September 1990 (after the transfer to Crosville Wales in 1986)
In 1925 Crosville acquired the services of two local operators, Messrs Hooker and D M Jenkins (Aeron Express). A base was then opened in Aberaeron with one other vehicle out-stationed at Cardigan. It is possible that the first location used in Aberaeron to keep the Crosville bus was the former depot of Aeron Express at the Aeron Garage, near to the Feather Hotel on Alban Square. These premises still exists today and is currently used by Lloyds Motors a Volvo retailer.
In 1929 buses were parked in an open yard at Market Street on the edge of the river.
The depot on Lower Regent Street was officially opened on 28th March 1949 to hold about 8 buses. It remained open after the transfer to Crosville Wales and it was finally closed in 1990 and demolished in 1993. The site is currently a Car Park
The allocation varied between 4 in 1947, 12 in 1959 and down to 8 in 1970.
Aberdaron
The Mill adjacent to the Bridge, Aberdaron
from February 1934 until February 1980
On 17th February 1934 Crosville purchased the company Tocia Motor Omnibus Company Limited which was based in Aberdaron. The same location was then used until 1980 to keep buses although for most of its time it was an out-station of Pwllheli.
Aberystwyth
Pen-yr-Anchor Kiln, Trefechan, Aberystwyth
from February 1924 until 1934
Park Avenue, Aberystwyth. SY23 1PG
from 1934 until finally closed as a depot in February 2014 (following transfer to Crosville Wales and Arriva Cymru)
Crosville commenced operations at Aberystwyth in 1924 and initially the vehicles concerned were kept at the location 'Pen-yr-Anchor' Kiln in the area of Trefechan, Aberystwyth. There are now houses on this site.
Work began in 1933 for a new depot at Park Avenue, Aberystwyth and the depot was opened in 1934.
The number of vehicles allocated to the depot in 1947 was 28, in 1956 - 38, in 1959 - 32, in 1965 - 33 and in 1970 - 23.
The premises in Park Avenue remained the depot in Aberystwyth up to the transfer to Crosville Wales (September 1986) and later to Arriva (April 1998).
After closure in February 2014 the depot remained empty until April 2021 when the building was demolished. It has since been used as a temporary car park.
Amlwch
Lon Goch, Amlwch LL68 9EN
from 1935 until October 1990 after transfer to Crosville Wales
The depot at Amlwch was opened in 1935. By 1947 the allocation was 11 vehicles, in 1956 - 13, 1965 - 12 and 1970 - 6. In 1968 full depot status was lost and it became an out-station. It transferred to Crosville Wales (in 1986) and remained as an outstation until October 1990 when arrangements were made to use the facilities of the bus and coach operator Lewis-y-Llan who had premises on the Industrial Estate in Amlwch. The old depot was demolished and a Kwiksave Supermarket was built on the site. There is still a supermarket trading at his location.
Bala
Site of the Old Bala Town Railway Station
from January 1965 until January 1971
The Bala out-station was established following the closure of the Ruabon to Barmouth railway which went through Bala. The May 1965 edition (No 59) of the Crosville staff magazine 'Crosville United' indicates that two buses were out-stationed at Bala, and two ex-Railwaymen were recruited for the new service. They were P. Parry, of Llanderfel, formerly a fireman, and W. Newall of Bala. One of the vehicles used was SCP2 (CFM 356B) a Commer FC1500 minibus with a 12 seater Harrington body. The services operated by the minibus were the D99 (Bala— Llanuwchllyn via Llangower) as well as certain journeys on Services D93 (between Bala and Corwen) and D97 (Bala—Arenig). The second vehicle out-stationed at Bala would work certain journeys on the new D93/4 Wrexham to Barmouth route. Bala was an out-station of Corwen where the vehicles would be fuelled and maintained.
Some of the additional services that commenced after the closure of the railway were withdrawn by Crosville with effect from 31st January 1971 which resulted in the closure of the out-station with the drivers moving to Corwen.
However the site of the out-station was used in subsequent years during the day for laying over by certain school buses operating from the Corwen depot.
Bangor
Beach Road, Bangor LL57 1AB
from February 1931 until November 2005 (after transfer to Crosville Wales and then Arriva Cymru)
The depot at Beach Road, Bangor was opened on the 18th February 1931 following the acquisition of Royal Blue by Crosville. The allocation of vehicles in 1947 was 54, in 1956 - 49, in 1959 - 41, in 1965 - 43 and in 1970 - 42. It continued to be used as the main depot of the area following the transfer to Crosville Wales in 1986 and it further transferred to Arriva Cymru in 1998. It closed in 2005 when a new depot was established on the Llandygai Industrial Estate. The site of the former depot remains unused.
The original Crosville Social Club that was used by the employees of the company is still located across the road from the former depot in Beach Road.
Barmouth
Min-y-Mor Laundry, Barmouth
from April 1923 until 1955
Marine Road, Barmouth from 1955 until 1991
Map link Street View Link front Street View Link back
Station Yard, Beach Road, Barmouth
Crosville commenced operating a bus service at Barmouth in April 1923. The conductor and driver were sent from Mold and West Kirby to start the service and a depot was established at the Min-y-Mor Laundry. The depot consisted at best of a small shed until by 1955 a depot building was erected nearby on what at the time was Marine Road. This building still exists and the rear of it can be seen on Heol Idris and the front can be seen from the Min-y-Mor Hotel car park. (see Street View links above and photo)
The allocation to Barmouth in 1925 was 2, 1929 -3, 1947 - 4, 1956 - 8, 1959 - 10 and 1965 - 9.
In addition to the Marine Road depot the parking ground at the Station Yard on Beach Road was also used.
The Marine Road depot was transferred to Crosville Wales in 1986 but it was an out-station of Dolgellau. The lease to this building was surrendered in 1991 and as stated the building still exists and is currently used by HM Coastguard as their Pentre Bach Workshop.
Betws-y-Coed
Carlton Motors, L & N W R Garage, Betws-y-Coed
from May 1922 until 1923
Crosville's first service in the Conwy Valley from Betws-y-Coed to Abergele was started in May 1922 following the acquisition of the firm W H Roberts of Llanrwst (Roberts' Blue Motors). Initially the bus concerned was kept in Betws-y-Coed at the premises of Carlton Motors which was near the Railway Station. After 12 months the depot was moved to Llanrwst.
Biddulph
Walley Street, Biddulph ST8 6EA
from March 1972 until March 1980
In early 1972, due to a re-organisation of companies within the National Bus Company, Crosville took over part of the former North Western Road Car Company (N.W.R.C.C.) operations including the Biddulph depot. This depot was originally built by PMT and opened in 1960. It was shared between PMT and the N.W.R.C.C. From 1972 Crosville continued to share the depot with PMT. The actual transfer date was 4th March 1972 but legally the date was backdated to 1st January.
In 1972 the Crosville allocation for the depot was 15 and reduced to 13 by 1980 when the depot closed. On closure Crosville moved its buses to Congleton at the Cattle Market on the Macclesfield Road.
The former depot has subsequently been demolished and the site re-developed for housing.
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Bowydd Buildings, High Street, Blaenau Ffestiniog
from 1924 until April 1964
Map link (Depot) Map link (Yard) Street View Link showing part of the original entrance
North Western Road, Blaenau Ffestiniog LL41 3NN
from April 1964 until September 1995 (after transfer to Crosville Wales)
The first depot to be used in Blaenau Ffestiniog was at Bowydd Buildings on the High Street. It was accessed by a very narrow entrance to a small yard and the depot building was built behind this. There was additional parking mainly for double deckers at a yard nearby called the Duffws Station yard (see photos). In 1947 the allocation of the depot was 11 vehicles, in 1956 it was 13, in 1959 it was 11.
A new depot was built in North Western Road and officially opened on 3rd April 1964. At the time there were excellent facilities but at a later date mainly due to subsidence some of the new buildings had to be demolished and were replaced by Portakabins. In 1965 the allocation was 9 and it reduced to 7 in 1970.
The depot was transferred to Crosville Wales in 1986 and in October 1989 it became an out-station of Caernarfon. Crosville Wales vacated the premises in September 1995. The premises has continued to be a base for bus and coach operators including Express Motors and currently both Hafan Coaches and John's Coaches use the site as their depot.
Borth
from about 1953 until October 1989 (after transfer to Crosville Wales in 1986)
[Closed between September 1984 and September 1986]
Pantyfedwyn Railway Station, Borth
Oak Filling Station, Borth
There was an out-station of Aberystwyth in Borth where one bus was based overnight for the period between about 1953 until 1989. At least two locations have been known to be used. The Railway Station and also the Oak Filling Station.
The outstation closed in September 1984 only to re-open again in September 1986.
The work of the outstation bus involved a journey from Borth to Aberystwyth leaving Borth at 0716. From 1966 this journey was four minutes later leaving at 0720. It would have then worked a school journey and other runs before returning from Aberystwyth at 1715 on a journey to Tre'rddol arriving there at 1749.
It is known that for a considerable period, probably from 1969 until 1979, the main bus that was out-stationed at Borth would have been SMG457 (1237 FM). It was then replaced by a new Leyland National in February 1979 SNL573 (JTU 573T). This remained as the chosen vehicle until the outstation closed in 1984. When it re-opened in 1986 a double decker DVG568 (HAL 105K) was the first vehicle to be chosen to be out-stationed there.
It is also known that for a great deal of his time the driver involved at Borth was Clayton Cadman. Sadly he died in December 2011. He followed his father's footsteps as A E Cadman was also a driver for Crosville. His father worked at Aberystwyth and mainly drove express services. He died at the age of 65 in 1961.
Brecon
Possibly adjacent to the Railway Station, Brecon
from January 1925 until July 1925
For a short period in 1925 Crosville ran a service between Brecon and Hay-on-Wye but this service was handed over after a few months to Great Western Railways. It is believed that the bus was kept near to the Railway Station.
Bredbury
Whitefield Road, Bredbury SK6 2QP
from October 1986 until November 1989
In 1986 Crosville opened an outstation in Bredbury as a result of their tendered service gains and increased commercial operations in the Stockport area. The site used was adjacent to that of P.L. Car Parks (Airport Parking). In November 1989 the out-station of Bredbury together with the depots at Congleton and Macclesfield passed to Beeline Buzz Company Limited who traded as C-Line.
Bryncrug, Tywyn, Gwynedd
Former Dysynni Garage, Tywyn Road, Bryncrug, Tywyn
from March 1935 until September 1970
In March 1935 Crosville purchased the business of J A Richards of Dysynni Garage, Bryncrug who had run services between Tywyn, Bryncrug and Caerbellan. A small shed was acquired with the business which was used until the depot was closed in 1970 In 1947 the allocation was 3 and remained the same in 1959. After the depot closed in 1970 the site was developed for housing.
