A free to use, hop on-hop off, coach service for tourists and locals will become a regular sight in Torridge this summer, thanks to an initiative led by Northam Town Council, supported by the Welcome Back Fund, provided by European Regional Development Fund and HM Government.

The free “Potwalloper” service will link the three popular tourist locations of Northam, Appledore and Westward Ho! on Wednesdays and Sundays, with an hourly service from 9.30am – 4.30pm, throughout the summer holidays. The circular route will also stop within easy reach of the award winning Blue Flag beach at Westward Ho!

The service being run with the help of Taw Torridge Coaches commenced on Sunday 25th July with timetables that can be found on bus stops or Northam Town Council’s website. The funding for the service will be taken from Northam’s “Welcome back” funding allocation from Central Government, aimed at helping high streets and towns reopen safely and “build back better” following the recent pandemic. Torridge District Council recently distributed over 62% of the £161K it received under the scheme directly to key towns in the area. The funding distribution was designed to give town and parish councils greater flexibility and control over their own projects to assist economic recovery in their areas. The Town Council are also hoping that the service will ease congestion on the roads and be a fun way for visitors to reach and explore the area.

Deputy Leader of Torridge District Council and Mayor of Northam Claire Hodson said:

“Everyone in the area is looking forward to a return to normality as restrictions ease and our businesses can fully open their doors to customers once again. We decided that seeing the area by open top bus that connected our key holiday locations would be a great way for people to explore the area as well as providing a boost for the local economy. Everyone at Northam Town Council were keen to see this project get off the ground as quickly as possible and we’re delighted we were able to achieve this in such a short space of time, and with an open top vehicle to take advantage of the ongoing good weather. We hope that the open top ride will put a smile back on people’s faces.”

For further information and timetables please click on the ticket to the left,  go to www.northamtowncouncil.gov.uk/tourbus or check timetables on bus stops.