PCL Travel
PCL Travel
I travelled on PCL's M1 Service between Morpeth and Rothbury via Scots Gap yesterday afternoon. The bus was driven by Peter Cowell, the owner of PCL. I was the only passenger for entire length the journey. This really is a cracking route, the countryside is beautiful. There are excellent views of the Simonsie Hills near Netherwitton and you pass through some lovely little villages such as Hartburn. You also pass a number of country houses such as Mitford Hall and Netherwitton Hall. There was a big shooting party on the Netherwitton estate when we passed through.
The route also goes directly past the magnificent Rothley Crags. Some of the route uses roads which have not been used by bus service before such as the section between Longwitton and Longhorsley. The timings could do with slightly adjusting as we were about 5 minutes late into Rothbury despite a good steady journey. If you enjoy visiting country pubs this is the service for you. The Dyke Neuk near Meldon looks like a very nice pub, as does the Plough at Mitford and Anglers Arms at Weldon.
I hope this service takes off, I highly recommend it. The vehicle was a Plaxon bodied Primo (ex Travelsure) which handled the country roads well. We had a good thrash between Longhorsley and Weldon. The cost of a single adult ticket for the entire journey is £4.00 and Mr Cowell states he is planning to introduce a day ticket covering the 15, 16, M1 and S1, the cost of which i understand should be £6.50 for an adult.
Try this route, it runs on a Wednesday and Saturday via Scotsgap with one journey each way. It connects with the Alnwick bus at Rothbury Queens Head.
Charles
