Greyfriars bus station
Encyclopedia
Greyfriars bus station serves the town of Northampton
, Northamptonshire
, England
. The bus station is owned and managed by Northampton Borough Council.
The bus station is situated in the Northampton Town Centre between Greyfriars (street) and Lady's Lane. It could be accessed from the Grosvenor Shopping Centre
, The Mounts and Sheep Street. The access from street level to the bus station is via subway, with the bus stands accessible via an escalator or lift.
The bus station was opened in the 1976 replacing the previous one at Derngate. The bus station has a travel centre, operated by Stagecoach
, as well as a newsagent and a hairdresser. As the bus station itself is underneath a car park, only a small amount of natural light reaches the concourse which does not help the atmosphere of the bus station.
It is a prime example of brutalism from the 1970s. In a survey for The Guardian
newspaper, it was listed as the third most hated building in Britain.
, First Northampton
, Arriva
, Souls and Meridian Buses. There are some smaller operators who use the facility.
Buses run from the bus station all around the town and go as far afield as Milton Keynes
, Bedford
, Peterborough
, Leicester
, Rugby
and Oxford
.
National Express Coaches also operate to Northampton from all around the country.
Stagecoach use the bus station as an outstation of Northampton Depot which is only visited for engineering purposes.
, they are still planning the redevelopment of the bus station & Grosvenor Centre. While looking at the current plans it shows the bus station demolished in 2014 and if everything goes to plan the Grosvenor Centre extension built on the bus stations land.
In September 2011 it was announced that the site of the former Fish Market, that currently hosts the Northampton Arts Collective is the preferred site for the new bus station. Work to build the bus station could start as soon as September 2012, with the building expected to be finished by May 2013.
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The bus station is owned and managed by Northampton Borough Council.
The bus station is situated in the Northampton Town Centre between Greyfriars (street) and Lady's Lane. It could be accessed from the Grosvenor Shopping Centre
Grosvenor Centre
The Grosvenor Centre is a shopping centre in Northampton in England. It is located adjacent to the Market Square in the town centre. The Centre consists of two levels, with some stores spanning both. It has its own multi storey car park and is directly connected to the Greyfriars bus station...
, The Mounts and Sheep Street. The access from street level to the bus station is via subway, with the bus stands accessible via an escalator or lift.
The bus station was opened in the 1976 replacing the previous one at Derngate. The bus station has a travel centre, operated by Stagecoach
Stagecoach in Northants
Stagecoach Northants is the name for most bus routes operated by Stagecoach Midlands in Northamptonshire. The legal name for the company is United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd...
, as well as a newsagent and a hairdresser. As the bus station itself is underneath a car park, only a small amount of natural light reaches the concourse which does not help the atmosphere of the bus station.
It is a prime example of brutalism from the 1970s. In a survey for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper, it was listed as the third most hated building in Britain.
Services
The main operators at the bus station are Stagecoach in NorthantsStagecoach in Northants
Stagecoach Northants is the name for most bus routes operated by Stagecoach Midlands in Northamptonshire. The legal name for the company is United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd...
, First Northampton
First Northampton
First in Northampton is a bus company which serves the towns of Northampton and Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, England. The legal name of the company is Northampton Transport Limited...
, Arriva
MK Metro
MK Metro was the main bus operator in Milton Keynes in the English county of Buckinghamshire. In February 2006, it was purchased by Arriva Shires & Essex...
, Souls and Meridian Buses. There are some smaller operators who use the facility.
Buses run from the bus station all around the town and go as far afield as Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, Bedford
Bedford bus station
Bedford bus station serves the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The bus station is part owned by the Stagecoach in Bedford and Bedford Borough Council and is situated in the town centre on All Hallows just off Greyfriars....
, Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
National Express Coaches also operate to Northampton from all around the country.
Stagecoach use the bus station as an outstation of Northampton Depot which is only visited for engineering purposes.
The future
The council announced plans, in 2009, to redevelop the bus station along with Grosvenor CentreGrosvenor Centre
The Grosvenor Centre is a shopping centre in Northampton in England. It is located adjacent to the Market Square in the town centre. The Centre consists of two levels, with some stores spanning both. It has its own multi storey car park and is directly connected to the Greyfriars bus station...
, they are still planning the redevelopment of the bus station & Grosvenor Centre. While looking at the current plans it shows the bus station demolished in 2014 and if everything goes to plan the Grosvenor Centre extension built on the bus stations land.
In September 2011 it was announced that the site of the former Fish Market, that currently hosts the Northampton Arts Collective is the preferred site for the new bus station. Work to build the bus station could start as soon as September 2012, with the building expected to be finished by May 2013.