This page is for 2015, click here for the 2021 Imber Bus event.
Fancy taking a trip in a heritage London bus through the middle of a military firing range? Well, keep the 22nd August free in your diary.
Once a year, a small fleet of vintage buses, and maybe a single modern one are allowed to run trips through the middle of Salisbury Plains, past burnt-out tanks and unexploded ordinance, to a deserted village.
It’s one of the rather odder heritage bus days, and unlike most heritage runs, this one uses a specially created, but fully official bus Route 23A, which is only in use on this one day of each year.
At least 7 former London Transport Routemaster buses will provide a bus service from Warminster Station to Imber and other isolated locations on the Salisbury Plain. As the buses will be providing an ordinary bus service, there will be no need to book in advance – just turn up and pay the conductor on the bus.
If you fancy a fine day out in the countryside, to visit an abandoned village, and do so in a fleet of London buses, then keep the 22nd August free.
I went last year, in the pouring rain. Great fun! There were plenty of Routemasters, but also a few Boris Buses serving the route – we went on the former, but I suspect the latter would have been drier!
Last year’s weather put me off making the long journey. I am keeping my fingers crossed for better weather this year.