Shuttle 662, Keighley & Bingley to Bradford

Stone mills and shops, factories and football ground, this is an eclectic journey through the dual beauties of scenery and cosmopolitan culture from Keighley to Bradford.

Leaving Keighley Bus Station, the Shuttle 662 bus pulls away immediately into a dense urban setting shaped by stone mills, retail units and busy junctions. It’s a landscape that’s all over the place – literally oozing with variety. From the window, customers see the commercial core of Keighley give way quickly to industrial edges, of a bygone industrial revolution era. Tall mill buildings with long rows of windows line the road, some converted, others still clearly utilitarian.

At Ganby Lane, the scenery opens ever so slightly. The road straightens and widens, with car dealerships, light industrial units and service yards appearing on both sides. Stone walls and older factory buildings sit alongside newer structures, showing layers of redevelopment rather than a single period of growth.

Approaching Crossflats at Canal Road, the environment softens. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal becomes visible in places, running parallel to the road. Customers may glimpse narrowboats, towpaths and low stone bridges between trees and railings. Housing estates rise behind the canal, their backs facing the water, while the valley begins to feel wider and greener.

At Bingley, stopping near the Midland Hotel, the town centre asserts itself. Stone terraces climb the hillside, and church towers and civic buildings appear among shops and cafés. The Aire Valley opens out here, with wooded slopes and wider skies visible beyond the town. Traffic slows, allowing a clearer view of Bingley’s layered streets and the transition from town to village scale.

The approach to Saltaire is marked by order and symmetry. Customers see long rows of matching stone houses, formal streets and mill buildings laid out deliberately. Salts Mill dominates the view, its size and precision immediately noticeable. The canal and river sit close by, framed by trees and paths, creating a strong sense of planned landscape.

Beyond Saltaire, at Ashfield Avenue, the scenery becomes more residential. Semi-detached houses, small parks and local shops pass steadily, with less industry and more everyday suburbia.

As the Shuttle 662 bus reaches Valley Parade, the scale and intensity increases again. The presence of Bradford City’s stadium is clear from floodlights, stands and open space around the ground. Then, downhill the bus goes and it’s the final approach into Bradford Interchange which is unmistakably metropolitan, of course, set in the centre of this wonderful diverse and culturally enriched city. Multi-lane roads, flyovers, office blocks and transport infrastructure dominate the view and it’s a whirlwind of energy and hustle and bustle. What began as a journey through mill towns and waterways ends amid concrete, glass and constant movement, reflecting the broader shift from valley industry to city centre transport hub and it’s a great denouement to a wonderfully diverse scenic sojourn! This is a Shuttle, quite like no other!