The small Cumbrian coastal town of Millom provides a vivid example of the decline of rural bus services and some of the causes of that decline.
This town, situated just below the southern fringe of the Lake District National Park, grew rapidly in the 1860s and thrived until the ironworks closed in 1968. After this, the town has struggled and from a population of 10,997 in 1967, this fell in just four years to 7,101 and is now around 6,000.
In 1966, Cumberland Motor Services had seven vehicles allocated to Millom and operated the following routes:
■ 13 to Whitehaven via Seascale, a 35mile journey with six journeys a day or five on Sundays.
■ 14 to Waberthwaite, a 10mile short working of the 13 with three journeys per day on Monday to Saturday.
■ 15 to Haverigg Star, the busiest route running half-hourly Monday to Saturday from 05.45 to 22.35 hours, taking 8min to cover the 1.5miles. Eight journeys a day were extended to Haverigg Camp, taking 11min, as did all Sunday journeys, run half-hourly between 13.30 and 22.00.
■ 15A to Borwick Rails and Steele Green (10min journey) Monday to Saturday with two journeys on two days, three on the other four days.
■ 16 to The Green, three 14min journeys, Saturday afternoons only.
