I travelled along Birmingham’s iconic bus route in the sweltering heat of June. Last Summer, I experienced the wonderful joys of the no. 11 bus which as a Birmingham local I know all too well about.
I chose a bright, sunny day with a temperature of 29°C to explore one of the UK's most beautiful bus routes, which in hindsight was a decision I would not have made due to the sweltering June heat, nonetheless it was all worthwhile as I came across some interesting places and opinions. The bus route is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this weekend.
Initially, when I first noticed that the number 11 bus route was featured among the UK-wide routes that was rated among the most beautiful by the Telegraph. I was incredibly surprised. For me, the number 11 bus route is one that I typically avoid. In my view, it’s usually insanely packed, busy and pretty loud - causing more of a headache than anything else. Although, admittedly, it has been some time since I last hopped on the bus so I approached this journey with an open mind.
Now, it is worth noting that approximately 36,000 journeys are made every day on the number 11. It’s a key route for many commuters across the city, serving over 260 bus stops. According to National Express, this passes near 233 schools, colleges or universities, 69 leisure and community facilities, 40 pubs, 19 retail centres, six hospitals, and even one prison. The route is also known as one of Europe’s longest bus routes.
Keeping this in mind, the cost of the adult day saver was among the first things that caught me off guard. The ticket cost £5.20 in total. The bus fare was more expensive than I had previously recalled, especially when considering that the bus service covers a 27 miles (43 km) route that has been round Birmingham's outer circle since 1926. Notable landmarks on the route include Blakesley Hall and Villa Park.
Speaking to a 72-year-old retiree on the bus during my journey. She informed me that the path was undoubtedly beautiful to her. She said: “It is a lovely route if you’ve got the time, not in a hurry. You do find a few famous places that are on the route. There’s Cadbury’s, there’s the QE hospital for a start. If you look that way you can see a bit of it. It leads to all parts of the Birmingham sights. I was on it for two hours, probably more. But now it has a break in Acocks Green you have to change buses. What’s that about? It’s a circle but it breaks and then other buses take over.”
However, when asked about the number 11 bus route outside a bus stop in Kings Heath. Karl Buckell, 39, works at a currency bureau disagreed that the number 11 bus route was beautiful. He said: “It depends on what way you’re going, if you’re going into Handsworth from Erdington. It’s always too busy, too hot, too stuffy. It stinks, absolutely stinks and is really unreliable. It’s been chaos ever since covid really.” Karl further shared it’s a route that he’d rather avoid, preferring to take the 54 route to Perry Barr, even though the 54 bus route takes about 20 minutes longer than the 11.
Meanwhile, Fiona, 56, charity worker, shared some fond memories of the number 11 bus route. She shared that it’s well-known for being an extremely long bus route. “When I was little, I loved it because it was something to do. You could waste time going around, and going through all the different areas of Birmingham. But I don’t use it anymore.” When asked whether she found the number 11 bus route to be a beautiful one. She said: “It’s interesting more than beautiful, maybe. You see a lot of different areas, more areas of poverty and better-off areas. You see all sides of Birmingham.”
I would normally ignore its surroundings, but after spending the entire day riding the number 11 bus, I finally paid attention to them. I found travelling across Harborne to be of particular beauty and interest. One of the key sights that I took in was Grove Park. It was a wonderful, calming pit stop that I had previously overlooked. I bet, fellow nature lovers would appreciate the sprawling greenery that is located in an affluent Birmingham suburb.
Another key feature I appreciated was the amount of bustling high streets that are located across Birmingham that are outside of the main city centre. While on the journey, I noticed plenty of shoppers running their errands ranging from lots of different streets across the city. There was: Rockery road, Soho road, Bearwood town centre, Harborne high street and Kings Heath high street to name a few. When visiting Bournville, the most essential place to see is usually Cadbury World, which opened in 1990. But have you ever noticed the Quaker Meeting House right outside? I hadn't, and if I hadn't tried the number 11 way, I doubt I would have.
Do let me know your thoughts on the number 11 bus route in Birmingham. Are there sights you hadn’t spotted before?
