Bus stops are an integral part of British culture, so much so that it’s hard to think of a time when they weren’t a piece of our national scenery. Of course, like anything else we take for granted, there must have been a first – but where was it? When was it? And who invented it?

Coaching inns

Between the 17th and 19th century, the precursor of the bus – the horse-drawn stagecoach – would operate a regular service between many of the UK’s major towns. They would work to a timetable, with regular pick-ups and drop-offs along the way. These normally took place at coaching inns, where the passengers could embark or disembark while the driver changed the horses and took a brief break. These inns were an early forerunner to modern bus stops, offering a designated time and place to board the stagecoach. However, since passage on a stagecoach normally needed to be booked in advance, perhaps it doesn’t qualify.

The first bus line

In 1824, John Greenwood opened Britain’s first bus line in Manchester. This operated over a fixed route and passengers were permitted to board the bus by request at any point along the way. As time moved on, certain landmarks along the route became convenient places for people to wait for and flag down the bus. These included road junctions, railway stations, and pubs. While these were de facto bus stops, they came about through local consensus, rather than any form of planning.

The first real bus stop

It wasn’t until 1829 that we saw the first official bus stop in Britain. This was the year that George Shillibeer began his Omnibus service in London. His route ran between Cornhill and Paddington, and he instituted designated stops along the way. The first stop at Cornhill was outside the Bank of England, with the final stop in Paddington was outside a pub called The Yorkshire Stingo.

Of course, things have moved on since George Shillibeer’s day. For the latest in bus stops and bus shelters, get in touch with Shelter Solutions today.