First Bus have partnered with Weldmar Hospicecare as the Transport Partner for their 'Stampede by the Sea' art trail!

Families can discover an amazing collection of elephant sculptures which are painted by local artists and displayed across Bridport, West Bay, and Lyme Regis from 28th March - 27th May 2025.

Hop on and off the local buses to experience the full trail and help raise awareness and vital funds for Weldmar Hospicecare, who provide specialist end-of-life care for local adults with a life-limiting illness and support for their loved ones.

To make it easier for you to explore the trail, First Bus are offering Group Saver Tickets on their Jurassic Coast buses for the duration of the trail.

Prices:

• Weymouth Group Day for £10
• Dorset Group Day for £15

We bought our tickets through the First Bus App and started our journey on The Esplanade in Weymouth, catching the X53 to West Bay.  The coast road is particularly beautiful with rolling hills passing by and stunning sea views.  It took us about 50 minutes to arrive in the centre of West Bay and the second we stepped off the bus we spotted our first elephant.

While my husband and the kids went off to get a drink I stopped by The Salt House which is currently Stampede by the Sea HQ.  Inside I picked up an official trail map for £2 and found a Memory Elephant where you can have the name of a loved one hand painted onto the sculpture.  Instead of going to auction, the Memory Elephant will find a forever home, after the trail, in the grounds of Weldmar's Inpatient Unit.  Children can also have a go at colouring their very own elephant to add to the gallery wall plus you can buy official merchandise and crochet animals which have been made by supporters.

We walked around the harbour and found several impressive elephants, all with unique designs.  We visited the Customs House Emporian and the West Bay Discovery Centre which is full of local information and hands on activities for the children to enjoy.

We then had just enough time for a play in the arcade before heading back to the bus stop.  The First Bus App has a handy live checker to access real time information which is really easy to use plus you can purchase tickets, view the journey planner and more.  When I checked the First Bus App in West Bay I could see our bus was due to arrive bang on time so we waited patiently on a bench close by in the sunshine.

We had such a brilliant day in West Bay, the sun shone for us and the elephants are incredible to see.  Now we just need to do the same again and head to Bridport or Lyme Regis!

Please note, these tickets are only available on the First Bus App and are valid from 28th March to 27th May 2025.  The First Bus App is free and makes it easy to plan bus journeys with ease.

Travelling by bus is a convenient and affordable way to get to many local destinations.  You’ll never pay more than £3 for a single journey, it’s better for the environment and there’s no car parking fees to pay!

For more information and a chance to win 1 monthly Adult Dorset Ticket and 1 monthly Child Dorset Ticket please visit First Bus.

AD #FirstBus #StampedebytheSea