with the new route clearly marked
The Stow and District Civic Society, with backing from Stow Town Council, aim to avoid coaches using Digbeth Street in Stow on the Wold when exiting the Square, stating the street is old and narrow and “totally unsuitable” for large coaches.
Appealing to operators, Tim Norris of the Stow and District Civic Society said if coaches entering the square drive straight to the assigned coach parking area, they have little option but to proceed in that direction on departure.
“Stow Town Council is proposing to introduce a restriction between St Edward’s Hall and Huffkin’s to discourage coaches,” he said. “But it is still necessary for coaches to circulate around the bus route to avoid this restriction, rather than turning around in the Square.”
“We would request drivers follow the route shown on the attached map in order to exit the Square via the High Street.This is the route followed by the coach company which operates the bus service.”
“Longer term free parking for coaches is available in Maugersbury Road car park which can be accessed via Sheep Street and Park Street,” he added.
“We hope this does not cause too much inconvenience, but Stow on the Wold was never designed for modern traffic and wishes to retain its mediaeval character.”
Lacking a complete record of operators visiting Stow, copies of the leaflet have been placed in Lucy’s Tearoom and The Original Gift Company adjacent to the Coach stop. If drivers notice any other company having difficulty in manoeuvring in the Square, they are invited to obtain a copy of the leaflet from one of these shops and hand it to them.
“Coaches and visitors are very welcome in the town,” enthused Tim. “Free parking is provided in the Square for a limited time and there is free parking in a coach park within walking distance of the Town, but large coaches in Digbeth Street are somewhat intimidating to pedestrians.”
David Burch from CPT told CBW: “It is a sensible move, the streets are extremely narrow in the area and coaches are large vehicles. One of the biggest problems is when coaches come to circulate the market, they rely on the fact that other motorists have parked accordingly and this isn’t always the case.
“The pick up and coach park is within range and we have had no comment or complaint from the local operators in the region.”
