Public Transport

Apart from walking to your local (or further afield), meeting friends in a different pub, and getting there by public transport so you can all enjoy a pint, is perhaps the next best thing.

Unfortunately since the branch was formed the availability of public transport has become steadily worse, but it is still possible to use public transport to get to pubs around our branch area with sufficient planning (and the buses not breaking down, and the trains not being replaced by buses).

The best route planner we are aware of is the Traveline planner which allows you to set your maximum walking distance (default 2km), and covers all bus and train companies that serve our area. Being able to increase the maximum walking distance is handy when it might be quicker to say walk 4km to a bus route than having to take a bus in the opposite direction and wait for a connection. Or you can decrease it if you want to ensure you get a bus to Kirby-le-Soken itself rather than a bus to Kirby Cross and a walk. Not so bad on the way there, but you might realise why Kirby-le-Soken is also known as “Lower Kirby” when you have to walk back up to Kirby Cross.

The bus companies providing the main services in our area are KonectBuses and First Buses (Essex). Each of their websites has links to download their individual apps, which can offer bus tracking, and to service updates. Trains are from (the now publicly owned) Greater Anglia. At the time of writing, their app is hidden under the “Travel Info” menu on their website.

Bus fares having been capped at £3 (previously £2) has made visiting pubs by bus even better value than it used to be, but there may be better savings available depending on your plans. For example if all your travel will be on KonectBuses, and you will be making more than 3 individual trips, their Seasiders Ticket (one day validity) is currently only £7.60. If you are making at least four trips and using both KonectBuses and First buses, then the Travel Essex Saver ticket is only £11.50 (Monday-Saturday) or £5.50 on Sunday though with so few buses in this area on a Sunday you might have to travel via Colchester to get your money’s worth. Details of the Travel Essex Saver are on both the KonectBuses and First websites. A number of our members are fortunate to be old enough to have a free bus pass, so don’t have to worry so much about these fares.

For rail travel locally Greater Anglia list the railcards available for individuals, or if you can travel in groups of three or more people then a GroupSave ticket is an option.

Local hints

Wrabness is probably easiest to get to by train. The station is right next to the community shop/bar/café and a starting point for three of our RambAles.
Direct buses between Clacton and Harwich are less frequent than they used to be, and no longer run on Sundays, so on Sunday you will need to go into Colchester and out again either by train or on First bus services. For villages in between you’ll want to visit on Saturday, or be prepared for a walk.
Brightlingsea may have a Railway Tavern, but the railway line closed in 1964 after the Beeching report of 1963. To get there these days you either need to change buses at Thorrington Cross, or take the train to Alresford and catch a bus from by the Pointer. It is quite common for the rail and bus timetables to be such that if you get the train to Alresford to Clacton you can see the bus to Brightlingsea leaving as you hurry the short distance between station and bus stop. Oh, at some times during the year you can also get to Brightlingsea by foot ferry from Point Clear (with a small surcharge for bicycles).
If you’re travelling by train to Walton-on-the-Naze you’ll need to change at Thorpe-le-Soken.

Transport Map

The following map is based on data from OpenStreetMap. Our pubs officer tries to keep the bus routes correct for the Tendring area, but the map may be out of date. It may also include school services which will be of little use of those wanting to visit pubs.