History of the Villager

The Villager Bus has been running since the spring of 1982 providing transport services to small, often isolated Cotswolds villages which have no other public transport facilities.

The service began as a direct result of a Government Inquiry into the causes of depopulation of rural areas, a major factor in the Inquiry’s report being lack of access to shops and medical facilities, which is still just as relevant today.

The report sparked a private initiative to provide regular bus services to local towns for those living in more remote communities and without their own means of transport, so as to enhance their quality of life and support more people to remain living in their own homes and maintaining local rural communities.

Back then it all started with one minibus. Today The Villager has six 16-seater mini-coaches offering scheduled services on routes serving a multitude of villages and on average around 300 passengers per week in direct coordination with local Councils.

In 2004 The Villager received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service: “For providing extensive, reliable and economical transport for 65 villages in the North Cotswolds.”