Farndale daffodil bus returns

Spring has finally arrived and the Farndale daffodil bus is returning to the North York Moors National Park.

Farndale’s wild daffodils look set to begin blooming in time for the start of the popular daffodil shuttle bus which begins a four week run on Sunday 27 March.

Rangers from the North York Moors National Park Authority have been visiting the picturesque dale to check on the flowers’ progress and say that the signs are looking good.

Last year a record 1741 people made use of the Daffodil Bus which is part of the National Park Authority’s Moorsbus service.

The Daffodil Bus will run on Sundays from 27 March through to 24 April plus Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday.

Farndale Daffodil Walk

The bus stops at several points along the dale enabling people to access the Farndale Daffodil Walk, which runs alongside the river Dove between Low Mill and Church Houses.

A mobile display unit staffed by the Authority’s voluntary rangers is at Low Mill throughout the daffodil season providing information on what to see and do in Farndale and the wider North York Moors.

[pullquote]The daffodils look to be ready to put on their usual fantastic show
David Smith, the North York Moors NPA [/pullquote]

With over 50,000 people visiting Farndale each year during the daffodil season, the shuttle bus helps keep congestion on the narrow roads to a minimum and allows the largely farming community to go about its daily life uninterrupted.

All day-travel on the bus costs £2.50 per person and anyone parking at the National Park Authority’s car park in Hutton-le-Hole will get the cost of their car parking (up to £2.50) deducted from the price.

David Smith, the National Park Authority’s Senior Ranger for the Southern Area, said: “Despite the heavy snow and freezing temperatures towards the end of last year, the daffodils look to be ready to put on their usual fantastic show. Provided we don’t get any severe cold snaps to check their growth, I’m confident they will be blooming by the end of this month”.

Moorsbus Timetables and further information about the Daffodil Bus service are available from local shops and National Park and Tourist Information Centres or can be obtained by calling 01845 597000. The information is also available online at www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/moorsbus

The main Moorsbus network starts on Sunday 3 April 2011 and will run on Sundays and Bank Holidays (apart from 29 April) until the end of October. It will also operate on Wednesdays in July, August and September.