A list of the operators acquired by Bere Regis & District over the years
One Ford Model T 14 seater - from these humble beginnings on 29th October 1929 this organisation grew to be the largest independent operator in the county of Dorset in postwar years. The initial routes operated by founder Reg Toop were four in number, namely Bere Regis - Kingston - Zelstone - Poole, Bere Regis - Wareham, Bere Regis - Bloxworth - Wimborne and Zelstone - Bere Regis - Dorchester. In 1930 two Chevrolets joined the fleet to supplement the Model T. In the same year Toop acquired the market day routes of James Ironside of Winfrith, running from Winfrith to Wareham on Thursdays, Dorchester on Wednesdays and Saturdays and a Saturday service to Weymouth.
In March 1936 the daily route between Poole, Morden, Bloxworth, Bere Regis and Dorchester, established by Israel Davis of Bloxworth in 1926, was brought into the growing business when his son Percy Davis joined with Toop to form a partnership. A few months later Bill Ironside (whose father's routes from Winfrith had been acquired by Toop six years earlier) also joined the business as a partner. Between them the three partners, Reg Toop, Percy Davis and Bill Ironside, expanded the fledgling enterprise - largely by acquisition of other businesses, especially during the Second World War - from pre-war market day services to an extensive post-war rural and interurban network with regular daily routes serving Dorchester, Sherborne, Yeovil, Sturminster Newton, Shaftesbury, Blandford and Poole. Their 1949 timetable booklet showed the complete network of thirty five routes - some ran daily and some ran once a week to market.
Operator and home village
Route(s)
Year of takeover / other information
W J Laws, Briantspuddle
Briantspuddle - Tolpuddle - Dorchester
June 1940 - one Dennis G bus
C E Jeanes, Dorchester
Henley - Piddletrenthide - Dorchester
December 1941 - started 1924
Thornycroft 20-str YC2986 to BR&DMS
N Russell, Broadmayne
West Knighton - Broadmayne - Dorchester
December 1941 (included A J Bishop's former service from Broadmayne to Dorchester, taken over by Russell in July 1937)
H Hawker, Piddletrenthide
Plush - Piddletrenthide - Dorchester
1942
Started 1902, motor bus since 1916
F Whitty, Dorchester
Frampton - Stratton - Dorchester
February 1942 (service started by B Cox in 1925, to Mrs R Platt in 1937, to Whitty in 1938)
F Thorne, Cerne Abbas
Minterne Magna - Cerne Abbas - Dorchester
1942 (started in 1873 by Edward Thorne, Frank Thorne from 1908, motor bus since 1913)
E Markey, Winterbourne Steepleton
Little Bredy - Wint. Abbas - Dorchester
June 1942 (part ex-C Ralph in 1932)
L Sprackling,
Winterbourne Stickland
and Milton Abbas
Milton Abbas - Whitechurch - Blandford
Milton Abbas - Dorchester
Stickland - Whitechurch - Dorchester
Houghton - Stickland - Blandford
September 1942. Trading as Ivory Coaches.
Started with taxis in 1916.
Part ex-T K Bower Milton Abbas 1930.
Five vehicles to BR&DMS (1 x Morris 20-str, 3 x Leyland 26-strs, 1 x Leyland 32-str)
G Lugg, Wonston, Hazelbury Bryan
Hazelbury - Dorchester
Hazelbury - Sherborne
Hazelbury - Yeovil
Hazelbury - Sturminster Newton
June 1944
Reo 20-str DV5631 to BR&DMS
Chevrolet 14-str DL6997 to BR&DMS
A Pitcher, Litton Cheney
Swyre - Litton Cheney - Dorchester
1944 - one Morris Commercial bus 14-str to BR&DMS
G Churchill, Puncknowle
Puncknowle - Bridport
1944/1945 – one 1929 Ford 13 seater to BR&DMS
C Fripp, Okeford Fitzpaine
Okeford - Blandford
Okeford - Manston - Sturminster Newton
January 1945
E J Bale, Hurst
Hurst - Moreton - Tincleton - Dorchester
Hurst - Moreton - Winfrith - Wareham
1946 (motor bus started 1925)
G Caundle
Puddletown - Dorchester
1946 (service discontinued 1943 before takeover)
Mrs B H Coombes & Son,
Kingston, Hazelbury Bryan
Hazelbury - Sturminster Newton
Hazelbury - Ansty - Dorchester
Hazelbury - Sherborne
Hazelbury - Yeovil
November 1946
Motor bus since 1926
Bedford WLB 20-str AGH961 to BR&DMS
J E Pickett, Buckland Newton
Buck. Newton - Piddletrenthide - Dorchester
Buck. Newton - Duntish - Sherborne
1947 - started 1922
Bedford WTL 20-str CMV348 to BR&DMS
V C Little, Marnhull
Marnhull - Plush - Dorchester
1947 (ex-A Trim, Marnhull)
S Harmer, Milton Abbas
Milton Abbas - Dorchester
Milton Abbas - Blandford
Spring 1948
Dennis Ace 20-str JB3354 to BR&DMS
H V Fear, Wimborne
(tours and excursions)
1951
G Robertson, Longham
(tours and excursions)
1952
E A Seager, Sherborne
(tours and excursions)
1954 (trading as Enterprise Coaches)
Mrs H J Macklin, Sherborne
(tours and excursions)
1955 (trading as Antelope Tours)
Elliott & Potter, Wimborne
(school contracts etc)
1982
Mid Dorset Coaches, Hilton
Milton Abbas – Hilton - Dorchester
Hilton - Blandford
1987 – on retirement of the House Brothers
With thanks and grateful acknowledgement to Ryan Carpenter and Roger Grimley
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