GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Leamington Spa Station: gwrpublicity3872

A Milnes Damiler 30hp chassis fitted observation car used in the first year on the Shakespeare Country tours from Leamington Spa

On 4th July 1910 the Great Western Railway commenced a Shakespeare Country tour. This was aimed at American tourists and involved a circular bus tour from Leamington Spa calling at; Kenilworth castle, Guys Cliffe, Warwick (with interval for lunch), Barford, Charlecote Park, Stratford-on-Avon (visiting Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Holy Trinity Church), Shottery (Anne Hathaway’s cottage) and returning to Leamington Spa. These daily Summer tours proved very popular and continued until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.

The photograph shows the new Milnes Damiler 30hp chassis fitted as an observation car which was used in the first year on the Shakespeare Country tours. The vehicle had been allocated GWR Fleet No 116 and was based at Leamington Spa. It was registered on 9th May 1910 with Registration plate No AF 544. At the end of the first summer season the Milnes Damiler vehicle was reallocated to Newton Abbot for tours over Dartmoor. It was replaced with a new Dennis 20hp bus. – see 'gwrpublicity3873'.

Robert Ferris

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