Double-Decker Bus Specifically Designed For Beverley North Bar

In 1940, this double-decker bus was specifically designed to fit through a medieval gate in Yorkshire.

Running between the 1940s and the 1960s in Beverley, the specially built East Yorkshire double-decker buses had sloped windows along the upper-deck and a curved roof.

This unique design was to ensure they could safely fit underneath an iconic structure in the town.

The Beverley North Bar - a historic 15th century arch - is the only remainIng bar in the town, and it owes its survival to the East Yorkshire Motor Services.

There were plans to demolish the North Bar in the early 20th century when the council were thinking of ways to improve access for double-decker buses.

Thankfully, however, the bar survived after East Yorkshire Motor Services came up with the clever idea of modifying the roofs on the buses to fit under the arch.

The Beverley North Bar has a distinctively shaped arch which limited traffic from Driffield, Bridlington and other areas north of Beverley accessing the town centre through the bar including buses.

From 1934, East Yorkshire Bus Company started to have some buses built with specially-shaped roofs, although this still required drivers to negotiate the bar very carefully.

Until the mid 1950's, these buses were the same shape as the bar arch but, by 1960's, newer buses had lower floors so were not as tall.

This allowed buses to go under many more normal bridges but the curves of Beverley Bar still prevented their passage through the arch.

Therefore, the double decker’s had their bodies built with a modification so their upstairs windows sloped inwards.

By the 1970s, the roads in Beverley were being improved and then the bus station was built on Sow Hill so the terminus moved away from Saturday Market and buses didn't need to use the bar.

The last specially designed bus built to negotiate the bar was Park Royal bodied Diamler Fleetline, 872 (RAT 872G), originally new in 1969.

Beverley Bar

Beverley Bar is a 15th-century gate and Grade 1 listed, making it of historic national importance.

In the early medieval period, the town of Beverley was not walled.

There are records indicating that Bars had been built in the 12th and 13th centuries, but North Bar is the only survivor.

It was built in 1409 at a cost of £98 (£128,000 in today’s money), and was renovated in the 17th century.

In 1673, the bi-annual horse fair was held on the street within the bar and the bi-annual sheep fair in the street without the bar.

In 1686, the annual cattle fair was moved to street within the bar and the sheep and horse fairs were moved to the street without the bar.

The cattle fair was moved elsewhere in the town in 1865 and by 1959 all fairs had moved further afield.

The bars also acted as toll gates, passage through them having to be paid for as a sort of local tax.

For example, records for the year 1420 in which King Henry V visited the town, demonstrate that North Bar was the principal route into the town by the amount of tolls collected.

Someone who recently saw these historic photos on social media said: “Used to love these buses. Unique design to suit a specific purpose which is very rare these days.”

If you ‘d like to see this gate, the address is: N Bar Without, Beverley HU17 7AA.

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