The £2 bus journey on the Bee Network's 350 route from Oldham to Ashton may be the most scenic in Greater Manchester, offering 90 minutes of stunning Pennine scenery, countryside, and narrow lane navigation.
90 Minutes of Scenery for £2
Two pounds doesn't go very far these days. It might stretch to half a pint in Wetherspoons, a Greggs steak bake, or a can of pop and a Mars bar. But it can also buy a ticket for a 90-minute trip on what's arguably Greater Manchester's most scenic bus route. That's exactly what a reporter from the Manchester Evening News did this week, catching the half-hourly 350 bus from Oldham to Ashton.
From Oldham bus station, the route heads east into the picturesque villages of Saddleworth before horseshoeing southwest into Mossley and downhill into Ashton. If you're in a rush, a cab might be better, but for those with time, the top deck offers a widescreen view of ever-changing scenery.
Through Saddleworth and Beyond
As the bus trundles out of town from Oldham Mumps, it passes the handsome old Co-op building on Huddersfield Road, now home to a Carpetworld promising 'Great laminate deals in store now' and the excellently-named Knuckles Muay Thai boxing gym. Near Austerlands, the route passes the historic boundary of the old West Riding of Yorkshire, a change in geography that still rankles 50 years on. A passenger gets on at what must be the only chimney in the UK with its own bus stop.
The climb up to Scouthead is a gear-box straining effort, but worth it. Soon, the dual carriageways, takeaways, and supermarkets of Oldham's outskirts are left behind as drystone walls and imposing hills of the South Pennines stretch into the distance. Though only 10 miles from the city centre, the top deck feels like a world away.
Narrow Lanes and Expert Driving
For most of the journey, the reporter had the upstairs entirely to himself until a fellow passenger got on near Dobcross and sat next to him. When she saw him filming out the window, she explained she could have walked to her destination but caught the bus to enjoy the scenery. 'The views really are fantastic,' she said. 'This bit coming up is particularly interesting. They need very good driving skills for it.'
On Denshaw Road, near the old White Lion pub in Delph, the driver swung the 14-tonne bus into an unlikely right-hand turn onto what looked like a single-lane farm track. The driver squeezed the bus through the narrow passage without issue. 'I told you,' the passenger laughed. In Uppermill, the bus navigated through cramped, traffic-clogged streets with ease.
Panoramic Views from Hartshead Pike
Leaving Saddleworth behind, the bus heads towards Mossley with the River Tame and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal running in parallel. About an hour into the journey, arguably the best view awaits. Topping out near the Harsthead Inn, the landscape opens up. A plane descends into the airport above, while below and to the right, the skyscrapers of Manchester's city centre poke up in the distance, with the Cheshire Basin stretching to the horizon. The city's skyline resembles a tiny bar chart from this lofty vantage point.
But just as quickly as it sprang into view, it's gone. The bus plods back downhill, and after a quick stop at Tameside General Hospital, it pulls into Ashton bus station some 20 minutes later, ending the reporter's little adventure on the top deck of the 350.
