Alder Valley
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bus services |
| Predecessor | Aldershot & District Traction, Thames Valley Traction |
| Founded | January 1, 1972 |
| Defunct | October 1992 |
| Fate | Operations divested and company dissolved |
| Headquarters | Aldershot (from 1981; previously Reading) , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | South East England |
| Products | Local bus services, express coach routes |
Alder Valley was the trading name for Thames Valley & Aldershot Omnibus Company Limited, a bus service provider operating in South East England. Established in January 1972 through the merger of two longstanding companies, it discontinued operations following the divestment of its services in October 1992.
National Bus Company period
Alder Valley came into existence on 1 January 1972 when two National Bus Company (NBC) subsidiaries, Aldershot & District Traction (A&D) and Thames Valley Traction (TV), combined their operations.
The chosen name Alder Valley merged elements of the original companies’ titles but did not correspond to a specific geographical region. Initially, the business was split into two sectors: Reading (previously TV territory) and Aldershot (formerly A&D area), each producing its own separate timetables. On 1 November 1973, these sectors were rebranded as the North and South divisions. Thames Valley had previously overseen South Midland express routes linking Oxford and London, but these services were transferred to City of Oxford Motor Services in 1971. The company headquarters were originally located at the former TV premises in Reading, with Aldershot functioning as a divisional office; by 1981, Aldershot assumed the head office role, enabling the Reading site to be sold for redevelopment.
Liveries
At launch, buses sported a dark red and cream color scheme along with modest Tilling-style Alder Valley fleetnames in gold lettering from early 1972. In line with NBC’s branding guidelines, poppy red replaced this from December 1972, complemented by a white stripe positioned at waist height on single-deck vehicles or just above the lower windows on double-deckers. This was accompanied by a white double-N logo, prominent white fleetnames, and light grey wheels. Subsequently, the logo was presented in red and blue on a white rectangular background with rounded edges.
Early NBC liveries featured cream-colored fleetnames and logos typical of NBC style on vehicles retaining their original A&D two-tone green/cream or earlier red/cream paint schemes. Alder Valley coaches were finished in white with red and blue "NATIONAL" branding alongside less conspicuous Alder Valley fleetnames. Vehicles classified as "dual-purpose"—bus-bodied units equipped with coach seating used across long-distance stage routes, express lines, private hires, excursions, and local services—displayed poppy red below waist level and white above, bearing red fleetnames and logos.
One variant included an all-white livery with a wide red band around waist level. In 1977, a Dennis Loline was specially painted silver and red to commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Later coach liveries adopted white bases adorned with angular black and red horizontal stripes; this design was also applied to an open-top double-decker stationed at Aldershot depot. Coaches operating London express routes carried Londonlink branding. Numerous deviations from these standard liveries were also present.
Fleet
As part of British Electric Traction, A&D operated a diverse range of vehicles primarily consisting of Dennis Lolines and AEC Reliance models, whereas Thames Valley maintained a typical Tilling Group lineup dominated by Bristol buses. Following the merger, some vehicle reallocations took place between the divisions. Under NBC ownership, Alder Valley standardized its fleet on the Leyland National for single-deck buses and the Bristol VRT for double-deck models.
During the early to mid-1970s, significant shortages in vehicle availability led to hiring various buses including a double-decker from Trans World Airlines, which operated on Aldershot routes such as service 12 to Reading in 1974; several aging City of Oxford AEC Reliances painted maroon and green served local Aldershot routes; additionally, at least two older Sheffield United Tours coaches ran Farnham to London services. These shortages, combined with low staff morale and difficulties retaining employees, contributed to substandard customer service and frequent route cancellations.
Depots
The company's depots were situated in various locations including Newbury, Reading, Lambourn, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Bracknell, Aldershot, Guildford, Woking, Hindhead, and Alton. Following the closure of the Alton depot, this site was downgraded to an outstation.
Operation
Alder Valley provided local bus services alongside frequent express coach routes connecting Farnham and Reading with London, as well as seasonal services to coastal destinations in the south. After legislative reforms in the early 1980s, most London-bound services were rerouted primarily via the M3 and M4 motorways under the Londonlink brand. These commuter routes experienced strong patronage for approximately ten years but faced decline towards the decade’s end due to motorway congestion. This resulted in the discontinuation of the Farnham service and reassignment of Reading routes to the northern division.
Decline
The Market Analysis Project (MAP) led to a reduction in local service mileage, elimination of two-person crews, and downsizing of the vehicle fleet. To rejuvenate certain areas, local fleet names and marketing campaigns were introduced; Aldershot & District was revived in Blackwater Valley, whereas other brands such as Forestride and Weyfarer achieved only modest impact before being phased out after several years.
In anticipation of deregulation, Alder Valley was divided on 1 January 1986 into Alder Valley North and Alder Valley South. Initially, both entities maintained the original NBC red livery; however, Alder Valley North soon began experimenting with a palette combining red, yellow, and grey.
Alder Valley North
Ahead of deregulation in 1986, Alder Valley North adopted a new identity as The Bee Line, featuring a yellow and grey color scheme adorned with bee motifs. In December 1987, ownership transferred to Q Drive. The company subsequently contracted operations by selling its High Wycombe services in October 1990 to the Oxford Bus Company, which operated under the Wycombe Bus brand before being acquired by Arriva Shires & Essex in 2000. In 1992, Bee Line divested its Reading and Newbury divisions to Reading Transport. The following year saw expansion through acquisition of the former London Country North West depot at Slough from Luton & District (part of Arriva Shires & Essex), leading to the closure of Maidenhead depot. By March 1996, the remaining operations were sold to CentreWest, which was later incorporated into FirstBus and rebranded as First Berkshire.
Alder Valley South
In December 1987, the Frontsource Group acquired Alder Valley South, subsequently removing "South" from the company's title and introducing a green and yellow two-tone color scheme. A year later, in December 1988, ownership shifted to Q Drive, which brought both segments of Alder Valley back under a single proprietor. In November 1990, Q Drive divested the Guildford and Woking divisions to the Drawlane Group, which eventually became part of Arriva Guildford & West Surrey. The remaining operations were sold to Stagecoach on 26 October 1992, rebranded as Stagecoach in Hants & Surrey. The once widespread Londonlink service diminished over time, leaving only Green Line routes 701 and 702 running from Bracknell to London, managed by Reading Buses.
Alder Valley Travel
The Alder Valley brand was resurrected in 2002 through Alder Valley Travel, which provided private hire services, school contracts, scheduled bus routes, and rail replacement operations from depots located in Alton and Staines. As of February 2008, it operated four routes under contract with Surrey County Council:
- 84: Bisley to Camberley (serving Collingwood College)
- 85: Ash to Collingwood College
- 690: Winston Churchill School to Brookwood and Worplesdon
- 828: Knaphill to Guildford
Operations ceased on 22 May 2009, with its fleet and routes subsequently transferred to Atbus.