First Eastern Counties 44518 (YX09 ACZ) in Woodbridge - 22 Sep 2023 (P1160589)

Friday 22 September 2023 (0912) – First Eastern Counties Buses (Ipswich Reds) 44518 (YX09 ACZ), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200 bodied Dart new in May 2009, seen passing the Shire Hall in Woodbridge.

The Shire Hall was completed around 1575 and is a Grade 1 listed building. When first built the lower part was an open corn market with the upper covered part used for judicial purposes. During the early 1800s the archways of the lower open part were bricked up.

The bus was working the 0830 service 70A from Ipswich which travels via the rural villages of Tuddenham St. Martin, Culpho and Grundisburgh. It was active on various ‘Village Links’ services on both days of my stay in Woodbridge. The tracker on the ‘Bus Times’ website showed the following:

Thursday 21 September
1245 Ipswich-Little Bealings 1327 (59)
1400 Ipswich-Rushmere St. Andrew 1428 (59)
1429 Rushmere St. Andrew-Ipswich 1455 (59)
1500 Ipswich-Rushmere St. Andrew 1528 (59)
1540 Kesgrave High School-Rushmere St. Andrew 1607 (972)
1635 Woodbridge-Rock Barracks (Sutton Heath) 1647 (71)
1650 Rock Barracks (Sutton Heath)-Woodbridge 1706 (71)
1710 Woodbridge-Felixstowe 1758 (73)

Friday 22 September
0715 Woodbridge-Ipswich 0819 (70)
0830 Ipswich-Woodbridge 0904 (70A)
0905 Woodbridge-Rock Barracks (Sutton Heath) 0917 (71)
0920 Rock Barracks (Sutton Heath)-Woodbridge 0936 (71)
0940 Woodbridge-Old Felixstowe 1040 (73)
1042 Old Felixstowe-Woodbridge 1138 (73)
1145 Woodbridge-Ipswich 1219 (70A)
1315 Ipswich-Woodbridge 1430 (79)
1435 Woodbridge-Rock Barracks (Sutton Heath) 1447 (71)
1450 Rock Barracks (Sutton Heath)-Woodbridge 1506 (71)
1540 Kesgrave High School-Ipswich (St. Augustine’s) 1557 (979)
1710 Ipswich-Woodbridge 1744 (70A)
1745 Woodbridge- Orford 1821 (71) (terminated at Sudbourne Park Fiveways at 1821)