PRESS RELEASE
Issued 8th September 2025
Closure of ‘WHOTT’ - the West Country Historic Omnibus & Transport Trust - and future custodianship of its historic assets.
Jointly issued by:
1. The West Country Historic Omnibus & Transport Trust (WHOTT)
2. The Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust (TV&GWOT)
3. The Devon General Omnibus Trust (DGOT)
The West Country Historic Omnibus & Transport Trust is to be wound-up, after 25 years of operation as a registered charity.
Regrettably, following a gradual decline in membership, WHOTT accepts it can no longer sustain its outgoings. After a review of alternative options by WHOTT members, it was decided the charity will be wound up and the historic assets distributed to other charities with compatible objectives, in accordance with charity law.
Robert Crawley, WHOTT Chairman, said “It is sad that after twenty-five years of dedicated work by a core team of volunteers, the Trust has had to make this decision. However, their work will not be in vain while in the hands of the Trusts acquiring its assets which fortunately remain in the South West charitable sector.”
The WHOTT collection comprises several historic vehicles – buses and coaches built between 1938 and 1994 – and a significant archive of artifacts and ephemera relating to the history and development of transport in the West Country.
A priority has been to find a secure home for these heritage assets to remain in the public domain for the benefit of current and future generations.
Two well-established registered charities – the Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust (TV&GWOT, with a base in South Devon) and the Devon General Omnibus Trust (DGOT, based in North Devon) – have come forward to take on relevant items from the vehicle and archive collections.
On behalf of the two charities Colin Billington, TV&GWOT Chairman, said “We are sorry that WHOTT is no longer in a position to continue as custodians of these important historical items. Where they are relevant to our respective charitable purposes, and to the extent we can afford to do so, we have been able to offer them a home and they have now been formally transferred into our care.”
As well as a significant number of heritage vehicles, TV&GWOT houses a major archive at its South Devon base, with another in Berkshire, and is registered with the National Archive (Archon No. 3565). Items transferred from WHOTT’s archive will benefit from dry and secure facilities which have recently been subject to a successful Collections Care Audit from the Association of Independent Museums.
Colin added: “We will be ensuring vehicles are kept in good order and available for public benefit – for example, at TV&GWOT’s established West Country vintage bus events in Kingsbridge and Penzance - and similarly that the consolidated archive will provide a rich resource for visitors to explore for decades to come.”
The Devon General Omnibus Trust will similarly become custodians of a vehicle which complements their existing collection and related archive material which will be used to enhance the memory of Devon General.
Both surviving charities are actively encouraging the continued involvement of former WHOTT members in the ongoing care and use of the assets, with TV&GWOT offering favourable terms to join its own Supporter group.
Notes for Editors:
The West Country Historic Omnibus & Transport Trust (WHOTT, the charity being wound-up) is an educational charity established in 2000 with the ultimate aim of founding a bus museum in Devon. For many years WHOTT organised regular vintage bus events at the then Devon County Showground (now Westpoint, Exeter), and subsequently in Dorchester. A more recent one-off event was held near Weston-super-Mare. WHOTT’s archive has been amassed over two decades, drawing on donations from private collectors and industry, and is currently housed at Coldharbour Mill in Mid Devon. WHOTT’s membership has significantly reduced in recent years meaning the charity has been unviable and will be wound up in the near future.
The Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust (TV&GWOT, to which some WHOTT assets are being transferred) was established in 2004 and is a registered educational charity with a focus on road transport history along the ‘Great Western’ corridor, from Paddington to Penzance. TV&GWOT provides around 25,000 free vintage bus rides to the public each year and is well-known for its high quality public events in Kingsbridge, Penzance, Didcot, Cheltenham, Taunton and others, as well as its annual Royal Blue Coach Run. It has bases in South Devon and East Berkshire which host group visits by appointment, where TV&GWOT vehicles and archives are housed. TV&GWOT undertakes high quality vehicle restorations and is known for its focus on authenticity in both its vehicles and public events. TV&GWOT is run by six volunteer Trustees, has over 300 contributing Supporters and is principally funded by donations.
The Devon General Omnibus Trust (DGOT, to which some WHOTT assets are being transferred) was established in 2013 to advance the education of the public in the history of public road transport and in particular the history of the Devon General Omnibus & Touring Company and its successors. It owns several vehicles which regularly attend Devon rallies and shows.
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