Route 555 starts from Lancaster in the northern part of Lancashire. The route goes via Carnforth, into Cumbria through Milnthorpe and past Levens Hall before stopping at Kendal bus station. Some Saturday & summer journeys run between Lancaster and Kendal via more direct route mainly via the M6 Motorway.[2]
Previously the route used to extend a further 30 miles from Keswick north to Carlisle. It was split with Stagecoach route 554 now connects with route 555 at Keswick bus station.[5]
Current route
Route 555 operates via these primary locations:[2]
The bus service is popular with tourists as they can see the countryside from the top deck. The route is also popular with walkers. Robert Swain authored a book, "55 555 Walks", that shows walks that could be done from destinations along the whole route in both Lancashire and Cumbria. [10][11]
Ladies That Bus
The play Ladies That Bus was written by Joyce Branagh and based on 400 interviews with users of the 555 route. It was developed in association with the three theatres along the route: The Dukes in Lancaster, the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal and Theatre by the Lake, Keswick. The show toured in early 2020 before the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and was scheduled to open on 29 September 2020 as one of the first productions at The Dukes as restrictions eased.[12][13][14][15] In January 2021 the Dukes theatre made Ladies That Bus available online through Vimeo, as a response to the lockdown conditions.[16]
Notes
^every hour on non-summer Monday to Fridays, every 30 minutes in the summer and on Saturdays and every hour between Keswick and Kendal and every 2 hours between Keswick and Lancaster on Sundays.
^The service operates additionally via Bowness-on-Windermere in the early morning and late evening to replace service 599.
^The new buses will not be used on journeys operated via the M6, as said by Stagecoach in the Lakes by Bus PDF in small print under "One day adventures on the 555" section.
