B&D book cover Jim Neale 1980s

Burwell & District Motor Service, an illustrated history by Jim Neale, published during the 1980s I believe at the now very modest price of £1.20.

The cover features a photograph of the company premises in the High Street in Burwell. The building by the BP sign still stands today occupied by an estate agent business. The land where the garage and buses are is now occupied by residential houses.

The business was owned by the Mansfield family and introduced its first bus in 1922 having traded as a taxi and cycle repair business in the preceding years. The original bus service ran from Burwell to Cambridge and this later had workings through from Fordham, Isleham and Soham. Market day services also ran to Newmarket and Bury St. Edmunds and summer coach services ran to Norwich/Great Yarmouth and Ipswich/Felixstowe.

I have included this photograph as it makes an interesting comparison to a photograph I took at the same spot on 30 May 2025.