Pulhams Coaches past and present

27/02/2024 Ashleigh Sinclair Coaches, Features

In June 2023, the Go-Ahead Group announced that it was to purchase family-owned Pulham & Sons (Coaches) Limited. Richard Sharman takes a look back at some of the earlier members of the fleet, and looks at current operations

If you were to write a list of long-established independent family-owned coach operators in the UK that are still going, you could easily write a top 10 at least, and until recently this Bourton-on-the-Water operation would have always been right up there. When you consider that it has a history dating back all the way to 1880, it is no surprise.

Serving the Cotswolds

The basis for the business goes back to 1880 and the introduction of a horse-drawn cart to move produce to the market in Cheltenham. This led to a weekly service from Bourton from 1885, and that link has not stopped. Those who are aware of Pulhams service network will know that services were always numbered in the 800 series, at least in the last four-plus decades. The vast majority of towns and villages surrounding Bourton were served at least once a week, with main trunk routes running at least six days a week. In addition, Moreton-in-Marsh market was also regularly served from many of the isolated villages.

The expansion of the company’s operating area and the addition of various council contracts in recent years means those 800-numbered services are now down to five, but the height of the 1990s saw a printed timetable booklet full of them.

In addition to the scheduled services, Pulhams has taken generations of Cotswolds families to and from schools and on school trips and private hires.