Hulleys’ Closure - My Thoughts

Ever since purchasing my first Peak District timetable book—produced by Derbyshire County Council and covering the summer of 1992—I’ve been fascinated by the bus firm Hulleys of Baslow, founded by Henry Hulley in 1921. Eight years later, while studying at Sheffield Hallam University in the evenings, I was fortunate enough to drive buses around the Peak District National Park and the Derbyshire Dales, though not for Hulleys themselves.

Like my local operator, Delaine Buses, Hulleys has always been a constant presence; only tortoises can recall a time when Hulleys didn’t exist. But from this Wednesday (26 March 2025), Hulleys will close its doors for good.

I write this article in frustration at not having done so last year, when I travelled twice with Hulleys on Service 173 (Castleton–Bakewell). On both occasions, the bus was over 20 minutes late. During the second journey, the Optare Solo’s saloon heaters were stuck on full blast, and the driver’s limited grasp of English meant he couldn’t respond when I asked for the heating to be switched off. The result: my daughter was sick everywhere.

I had considered writing a ‘What’s Happened to Hulleys?’ piece, but chose not to, as the company’s enthusiastic online following didn’t reflect my own experience. Or at least, not publicly. While the following piece might not read as a glowing tribute, it is written with respect—though with accuracy.

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Hulleys of Baslow, a Derbyshire bus company operating since 1921, has announced it will cease operations, ending over a century of service​. The company’s closure follows a series of setbacks in recent years, ranging from operational difficulties to financial strains. Local communities in the Peak District are bracing for the impact, as Hulleys’ buses have provided vital links between rural villages and towns such as Chesterfield, Bakewell and Sheffield for more than a century. The decision to shut down comes on the heels of a major loss of service contracts and an ill-fated expansion attempt, leaving residents concerned about future transport options and officials scrambling to fill the gap​.

Reliability Issues and Lost Contracts

Hulleys’ decline has been largely attributed to chronic reliability problems on its routes. Derbyshire County Council (DCC) recently found Hulleys to be “continually unreliable” – with buses often missing portions of routes and leaving passengers stranded​. Complaints had piled up throughout 2023: one local councillor recounted how children were repeatedly left “marooned in the cold, wet and dark” by unpredictable services​, and a mother with a baby waited over two hours for a no-show bus​. Last week, DCC announced it was stripping Hulleys of four subsidised routes (covering services to Ashbourne, Bakewell, Castleton, Chesterfield, Clay Cross, Matlock and Wirksworth) “after a long period of reliability and service issues”​. This decisive action would cut Hulleys’ network in half, from ten routes down to just 5. 

Councillors stressed they did not take the decision lightly but had “no choice” after exhausting efforts to help the operator improve​. “It is not acceptable for passengers to be left at bus stops missing vital appointments… which has been the case,” said Cllr Charlotte Cupit, DCC's cabinet member for transport​. She shared residents’ frustration and noted many had lost faith in the bus service due to its unreliability​. Ultimately, DCC felt it had “reached the end of the line” and needed to find new operators who could run the routes on a “sustainable and reliable footing”​. While making this announcement, officials acknowledged Hulleys had “tried hard” to fix issues, but the performance remained poor​. The termination of these contracts dealt a critical blow to Hulleys’ viability, as even observers noted that removing so much work “in one go” would deeply affect the company’s finances and future​.

Operational Challenges Behind the Decline

Multiple factors contributed to Hulleys’ reliability woes. Vehicle breakdowns and staffing shortages were persistent problems. The company operates an aging bus fleet, which made mechanical defects more likely and increased the risk of service failures​. Drivers reportedly faced pressure to keep services running despite these issues and delays from roadworks often threw timetables into disarray​. In a statement last year, Hulleys cited a shortage of drivers and spare parts (due to supply-chain scarcity) and “relentless” roadworks as key reasons it struggled to run the timetable reliably​. The operator described how “incredibly bad luck” with these factors meant a route they took on in good faith “just didn’t work out”​. 

Hulleys attempted corrective measures – by late 2023 it launched a recruitment drive with higher pay and acquired additional buses to shore up its services​. Management claimed these steps had "turned the corner", reporting that by early 2024 they were operating 99.4% of scheduled mileage (a dramatic improvement from the prior autumn)​. They also mentioned gaining “access to better facilities,” which hinted at new maintenance arrangements to tackle vehicle downtime​.

Despite these efforts, any recovery appears to have been too little, too late. Reliability problems persisted into 2024, and public confidence was never fully restored. Community frustration was evident: North East Derbyshire MP Lee Rowley said residents had been “pulling our hair out” over Hulleys’ unreliable buses and that despite some brief improvements, “it’s clear that this is not working”​. By early 2025, the combination of frustrated passengers, schoolchildren left without rides and mounting complaints had eroded the company’s reputation and support. The loss of DCC contracts that followed was essentially the final straw for Hulleys’ operations.

Financial Pressures and Pandemic Aftermath

Beyond operational issues, financial difficulties played a major role in Hulleys’ collapse. Like many regional bus companies, Hulleys was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Passenger numbers plummeted during lockdowns, straining revenue for what was already a marginal business. Hulleys secured a £100,000 loan from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund to survive the crisis and “protect its vital service for Peak District residents”​. This 2021 injection was meant to help the company bridge the pandemic slump and prepare for an expected ridership rebound in summer 2022​. However, ridership recovery across the UK has been uneven and it’s unclear if Hulleys ever regained pre-pandemic patronage. 

By 2023-24 the firm was likely still under financial strain. Operating costs had risen – fuel prices, vehicle maintenance and driver wages all increased industry-wide, squeezing profit margins​. Meanwhile, reliability problems meant DCC withheld payments for services that didn’t run (as noted by Cllr. Cupit)​, denying Hulleys revenue even on contracted routes. The company’s decision to withdraw from certain routes (such as Service 80 (Crystal Peaks - Chesterfield) in 2024) hinted at efforts to cut losses. Hulleys admitted that route had never become “something profitable” and apologised for letting passengers down when they couldn’t make it work​. They promised to redeploy resources to improve core routes’ reliability. Despite such adjustments, the financial outlook remained dire – continuing to run half-empty buses or to breach contract standards was unsustainable. Some issues may have been self-inflicted, but others (like inflation and driver shortages) were outside management’s control​. Last week, faced with losing a large portion of its subsidised income and the costs of maintaining service, Hulleys seemingly had no viable path forward. This culminated in the decision to cease trading, with industry observers noting that “most of the issues seem to be self-inflicted” but also that the business faced multiple cost pressures beyond its control​. 

The Go-Coach Expansion and Divestment 

One of the more surprising chapters in Hulleys’ final years was its brief acquisition of another bus company – a move that, in hindsight, may have overextended the firm’s resources. In December 2023, Hulleys of Baslow purchased Go-Coach, a bus operator based in Swanley, Kent (sometimes informally referred to as “Go Bus”)​. Go-Coach is a sizable operation running 40 routes in north and west Kent​, far from Hulleys’ home turf in the Peak District. The deal was puzzling to many in the bus industry: trade press noted that Go-Coach would “retain [its] branding, fleet and staff” under the new ownership​, and the founder, Austin Blackburn, even stayed on as Engineering Director of both Go-Coach and Hulleys​. In a letter to employees, Blackburn explained he sold the company to reduce his 70-hour work weeks (though he remained involved in operations)​. Not much else changed at Go-Coach day-to-day, leading observers to wonder what Hulleys stood to gain. Some speculated the acquisition might allow Hulleys to use Go-Coach’s “better facilities” (e.g. its modern Swanley depot) to help maintain Hulley’s fleet​. Indeed, the staff letter hinted that “some of Hulleys’ engineering will be done at Swanley” – an odd arrangement given the 300+ mile round trip between Derbyshire and Kent​. The Public Transport Experience blog expressed “bewilderment at this takeover decision”, pointedly hoping that Alf Crofts (Hulleys’ owner) “hasn’t overreached himself!”​ 

Unfortunately for Hulleys, the Go-Coach venture was short-lived. Barely a year later, in February 2025, Go-Coach returned to the hands of its original owner. Austin Blackburn completed a management buyout on 28 February 2025 to regain full control of the Kent business​. Both parties presented the reversal as a positive move for Go-Coach’s stability: the company announced it was “back under local management” and even celebrated by ordering new electric minibuses for its fleet​. However, no public detail was given about why Hulleys sold Go-Coach back so quickly. The timing coincided with Hulleys’ mounting troubles at home, suggesting that financial or management pressures forced the divestment. It is possible Hulleys needed to free itself from the responsibility (and any remaining cost obligations) of the distant subsidiary as its own operation faltered. By relinquishing Go-Coach, Hulleys may have raised some cash or reduced debt, but it also meant conceding defeat on what was meant to be an expansion strategy. In hindsight, the episode underscores how stretched Hulleys had become – taking on a large additional business “with no obvious synergies” left the firm fighting on two fronts. As one forum member noted, Hulleys’ management may simply have “overreached” and the Go-Coach deal did little to solve the core problems back in Derbyshire​. 

Community Impact and Response 

The collapse of Hulleys is understandably sending ripples through the local community. For many rural villages in the Peak District, Hulleys’ buses have been a lifeline, connecting residents to jobs, schools and essential services. The sudden uncertainty over bus provision has alarmed locals and officials alike. Students and commuters are among the most affected: with routes being withdrawn, some college students service 172 (Matlock–Bakewell) worry they’ll have no way to attend courses in Chesterfield or Buxton unless a parent can drive them to an alternative bus stop​. Elderly and car-less residents in hamlets around Bakewell, Castleton and Matlock fear isolation if services disappear entirely. As one concerned resident observed, even before closure the limited schedules meant a simple hospital appointment by bus could turn into a three-bus, three-hour ordeal – and that was with Hulleys running​. A full shutdown could leave some villages with no public transport at all, unless replacement operators step in immediately.

Councillors have emphasised the human cost of losing these buses. “There is a very human element that a lot of people seem to forget”, one commenter noted regarding the situation​. DCC is urgently seeking other bus companies to take over the vacated routes​. Tenders for the four contracted routes are being fast-tracked, with hopes that new operators can be in place within weeks​. In the interim, Hulleys was expected to continue running those routes until handover​ – though whether they can maintain any service in their final days is uncertain. DCC officials also expressed hope that by shedding the contracted routes, Hulleys might at least keep its remaining commercial routes running a bit longer​. However, with the company now announcing a full closure, even those remaining services (like the company’s first, the 170 Bakewell - Chesterfield) are likely to vanish or be rescued by competitors. Neighbouring bus operators (such as High Peak Buses, TM Travel or Stagecoach) may absorb some routes or redeploy resources, but this takes time and funding. 

Many passengers are unsurprised – they saw the signs as buses frequently failed to show up. Social media forums filled with stories of missed appointments, lost jobs and daily inconvenience due to Hulleys' unreliability. That said, many Facebook posts today lament the end of a local company that, in better days, provided valued rural services. Hulleys of Baslow has a long history in the Peak District and its distinctive cream-and-blue buses have been part of the landscape for decades. For the village of Baslow, the closure is also a loss of local heritage. Employees of Hulleys are facing uncertainty as well – drivers, mechanics and office staff are losing their jobs unless they can be taken on by whichever firms replace the services. Stagecoach in Chesterfield is currently offering a £1,200 ‘welcome bonus’ for qualified PCV drivers. Hulleys' managing director, Alf Crofts, has not made extensive public statements about the closure so far, but in internal newsletters shared on Railforums he previously defended the company and chastised “rumour-mongers” for harming its reputation​. Such defensiveness suggests the closure is an especially bitter outcome for management, given their earlier confidence that they could turn things around. 

Hulleys’ Explanations vs. Local Media

Throughout this saga, Hulleys’ own statements have sometimes contrasted sharply with local media and officials’ commentary. In official press releases or announcements, the company often highlighted external challenges and its good intentions, whereas local reports emphasised Hulleys' failures to deliver. For instance, when Hulleys announced in March 2024 that it would cancel the loss-making Service 80, its statement stressed that it had only taken on the route after “nobody else was prepared to run it” and that “everyone at Hulleys worked flat out” to improve the service​. The company cited unforeseeable issues like driver shortages, scarce bus parts and endless roadworks – even attributing some problems to “incredibly bad luck” – to explain why reliability suffered​. Hulleys apologised to passengers “we’ve inconvenienced, let down, [and] disappointed” and expressed pride that they eventually improved performance after recruiting more drivers and buses​. This narrative framed Hulleys as a company doing its best in trying times, taking bold steps (like acquiring new buses and even another company) to fix issues and reluctantly retreating from a route only after exhausting options. 

Local media and officials, however, painted a more critical picture. The Derbyshire Times bluntly described Hulleys as failing to meet basic obligations, calling it a provider found to be “continually unreliable” despite council support​. Reports highlighted the real-life impacts of the company’s poor service – from stranded mothers and children to entire villages effectively cut off​. Where Hulleys spoke of industry-wide driver scarcities, the council pointed out that every missed bus was taxpayer money wasted and that they had “cut [Hulleys] so much slack” before finally pulling contracts​. An atmosphere of exasperation comes through in quotes from councillors and MPs: they detail how they pressed Hulleys for months to improve, held public forums and even rode along on problem routes – yet saw little sustained progress​. The implication in local coverage is that Hulleys' management failed to right the ship, whether due to mismanagement or inability to cope with challenges. One Derbyshire council meeting went so far as to say that as many buses were being cancelled as ran each day – an appalling record that eroded public trust​.

Even in the aftermath, there is a contrast in tone. Hulleys has not issued a detailed public “closure statement” as of the time of publication, but if their past communications are a guide, they would likely cite a combination of insurmountable challenges: funding shortfalls, driver shortages and the blow of losing DCC contracts. Local stakeholders, on the other hand, emphasise accountability – noting that plenty of other small bus companies face the same headwinds without collapsing. They point to strategic errors like taking on too much (e.g. the distant Go-Coach operation) or not investing early enough in fleet reliability. Indeed, when news of the Go-Coach takeover first broke, industry watchers questioned whether it was wise for Hulleys to acquire a company 170 miles away, hinting that management’s focus was misplaced​. Now, with Hulleys' demise, those warnings appear prescient. The company’s attempts at positive PR, such as celebrating near-full mileage operation for a week​, did little to convince locals who were experiencing daily cancellations. This disconnect between Hulley’s optimistic updates and passengers’ lived reality likely hastened the loss of goodwill. 

The closure of Hulleys of Baslow arises from a perfect storm of operational failures and financial pressures; how reliability issues and broken promises alienated the community, while the company’s own messaging cited broader challenges and last-ditch efforts to improve. The brief acquisition (and subsequent sale) of Go-Coach demonstrates the pitfalls of over-expansion – a gamble that diverted attention and possibly resources at the worst possible time. As Hulleys shuts its depot gates for the last time, the region is left to reflect on what went wrong and to quickly find ways to keep critical bus services running under new operators.

Notwithstanding my journeys with Hulleys in 2024, I’ve had many happy memories aboard their buses over the years, armed with a Derbyshire Wayfarer and a timetable book. There weren’t many operators brave enough to navigate the hairpin bend in Cresbrook with a Leyland Lynx.

All but the last two photos were taken during a depot tour in 2008.