Page 54 - link magazine

Stranded in Stanton

Having lived in Stanton Fitzwarren for 11 years writer Eleanor Petley
gives us her opinion about the lack of rural buses. She’s a bit frustrated.

In the millennium of instant com- recent get-together was hosted by
munication, a global marketplace, the residents of what used to be
dial-up services and high speed Stanton’s station house. The village
transport links, Stanton Fitzwarren railway line, which ran daily services
appears to have taken a wrong turn to Swindon and Highworth, was
on the road to progress. closed before the Beeching cuts of
Just a few miles outside Swindon, the 1960s (which saw 55 per cent
slightly closer to Highworth, a five of Britain’s stations and 30 per cent
minute drive from Honda and with of its rail routes lost), and the sta-
an industrial estate opposite its tion house has been a private home
country park, but with no shop, for more than 50 years.
post office, pub or school, Stanton Train routes were replaced by bus
Fitzwarren is the village that the services, but cheap petrol prices in
bus companies have forgotten. the 1970s persuaded most people
Its single weekly service – sup- in rural communities to buy cars.
ported by a neighbouring county The bus services were pruned
council, and not by Swindon Council accordingly. Then rising fuel prices,
– was cancelled in 2011, leaving combined with insurance costs and
carless residents with a long trek the financial crisis, meant that cars
into South Marston industrial were no longer affordable for many.
estate to catch the nearest bus. A People in Stanton unable to use
return trip to Swindon from the the internet for shopping, and with
Mill Lane bus stop, pictured above, no car of their own, must walk up
requires a five mile walk. The same to two miles to the nearest bus
is needed for a visit to the doctor, stop, and then carry their shopping
the supermarket, the cinema or a back. There are both pensioners
sports centre. and working age people in the
Evenings out introduce an ad- village for whom the lack of a bus
ditional hazard, since the pavement – a basic staple in the provision of
ends slightly before the village does public services – is an impediment
and the road in which residents to normal life. If a Google search
have to walk is unlit. For part of shows that there are bus services
the route to South Marston, there across the Gobi desert, and a regular
is the option of a bridle path – but bus to and from Timbuktu, then the
walking this in the dark brings an lack of any public transport at all
additional peril, discovered only in the heart of one of the richest
UNITS 19-20 KENDRICK INDUSTRIAL ESTATE when the first street lamp of the nations on Earth is something that
village reveals the walker’s feet fate. those charged with supplying these
SWINDON WILTS SN2 2DU It is a friendly and sociable services should be ashamed of.
village of some 100 houses, and a
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54 swindonlink.com n April 2015