The future of our village bus service, the 503, remains in doubt. But, for the time being, you can make any single journey for just £2 under the Fare Cap scheme.
With the summer holidays here, you can take the family on a cheap excursion into Godalming or, as villager Mary Grove discovered, take a winding and scenic journey all the way into Guildford – just for the sheer enjoyment of the ride.
Mary has extolled the virtues of the 503 in an article in the July edition of the parish magazine having taken a walking group by bus from Hambledon to Guildford. After sight-seeing in our county town and a picnic by Millmead Lock they then strolled along the tranquil towpath, beside water meadows, observing wild flowers, bird life and even a grass snake swimming in the river, back to Godalming, stopping for refreshments at the café at Farncombe Boathouse.
This would make a great family day out, although arrangements would need to be made for collection on return to Godalming. The River Wey was one of the first rivers to be made navigable and with the Godalming Navigation is now owned by the National Trust.
The 503 begins at Lane End, travels through Hambledon with stops at the Village Hall, the Merry Harriers and Hydestile Crossrsoads, and then runs past Milford Station and on to Godalming and Guildford.
The service has been much reduced over the years and it now operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, twice in each direction. The timetable can by found on the travel section of this website, at http://www.hambledonsurrey.co.uk/?page_id=386 and in the parish magazine, online and at individual stops.
The £2 cap is a government-funded scheme to encourage bus use as a sustainable form of transport and it remains in force until the end of October. Those with bus passes travel free.
The 503 remains a life-line for some villagers who do not or no longer drive, to reach shops and surgeries in Milford and beyond. The rural service is operated by Stagecoach but subsidised by Surrey County Council which is conducting a review with the aim of cutting funding.
This review proposes that the 503 be scrapped and replaced by an on-demand service which requires potential customers to book a mini bus on line.
Hambledon Parish Council, which has campaigned to keep the 503 in previous reviews, has opposed this proposal and is contact with local MP Jeremy Hunt and is seeking a meeting with Surrey County Council.