Description of Eden Project Bus Tour
Members’ Trip – round trip tour
Organised by Concessionary Travel Club Champion Richard Worrall, this round trip tour from Walsall in the West Midlands to the Eden Project in Cornwall included free concessionary travel on 29 different local buses
The photograph on the left shows Richard and friends at the Eden Project. Richard is on the right (wearing the hat) together with fellow travellers (from the left) John Stevens, Lesley Ireson, and Connie and Roland Roberts.
The route to the Eden Project trip from Walsall took in Stratford-on-Avon, Cirencester, Salisbury, Bournemouth, Poole, Exeter Plymouth and Newquay amongst many other towns.
Here are Richard’s views on the Eden Project:
“The site is a reclaimed steep-sided clay quarry, now a showpiece educational resource with (as the blurb says) the world’s greatest collection of plant species useful to man ever gathered in one place. The project has attracted nine million visitors since 2001.
If you haven’t been yet, go. If you have, go again! It’s tremendous!
As we arrive by the road circling the perimeter of the site, we spot the massive biomes glinting in the sun - the biggest green-houses in the world. We walk down the gentle slope from the bus stops to the entrance, I buy the excellent guide book (£5), then we wander slowly down the zigzag path to the bottom through the planted outdoor area (the ‘outdoor biome’) to the covered rainforest and Mediterranean biomes - not only are the plant exhibits and the signposting and explanations excellent, there’s wonderful public art all through the site, with massive junk art, quirky installations, carvings - all underlining the key messages of the Eden Project - sustainability, respect for our natural environment, the huge damage caused by the traditional industrial processes, and the alternatives available.
The price mentioned below is the price I paid using the internet. Please check the web site for current prices - concessions are available."
Hard copies of the diaries with maps and illustrations are available from Richard for the price of production and postage/packing plus 50p charitable donation per copy. Payment is on receipt, and they can be ordered from Richard by phone on 01922 641084, or by post from 46 Winn House, Burrowes Street, Walsall, WS2 8NW, or by e mail at richardvworrall@yahoo.com.
Richard has also produced diaries for Round Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – please contact him for details
Address
Bodelva
Cornwall
PL24 2SG
Local Transport: Places that we visited or stayed at during our round trip tour to the Eden project that I'd also recommend were:
1.Cirencester parish Church
2.Avebury Neolithic Stones
Recommended places to stay and eat en route:
1.St Aubyn’s Guest House, Burnham - “absolutely brilliant and excellent value”
2.The Old Spot pub in Dursley. Gloucestershire pub of the year 2007 and 2008
Price guide: £10 Per Day
This is the price I paid on the internet for admission to the Eden Project. Price tip - you can get admission for £8 if you book it on the bus in conjunction with your free pass .