Buffy Bus

Quick Info

📍 Location: Mobile play bus. Saffron Walden stops include Leverett Way (Mon) and Cromwell Road (Tue), plus Great Chesterford, Newport, Thaxted, Elsenham and more (see timetable)

🕒 Hours: Mon–Fri sessions typically 9:30–10:45am, 11:15am–12:30pm or 1:30–3pm by stop (timetable changes)

👶 Best for: 1–4 years

💷 Price: Free / donation

🟣 Booking: Regular stops are often drop-in; booking recommended when busy via Buffy Play Bus

🅿️ Parking: Varies by stop. Buggies stay outside beside the bus, so bring a rain cover

☕ Facilities: Ground-floor toilet with changing, heated bus, ball pit/soft play, crafts, sand, painting

🥜 Food: Fruit and veg snack cup mid-session

Official website: https://buffyplaybus.org/booking/

Prices and hours checked late October 2026 — confirm on their site before you set off.

Playgroup Lowdown

Buffy is a free mobile playgroup that travels around Saffron Walden and the surrounding villages throughout the week. The bus itself is the play space, cleverly divided over two floors with soft play, crafts, books and activities packed inside.

New autumn timetable

A lovely Walden Weekly supporter recently spotted that Buffy's timetable had changed and gave me a nudge, so I've updated this page with the new autumn route. Thank you! 💜

Buffy is now out Monday to Friday, travelling between villages and communities around Saffron Walden and Uttlesford.

Where to find Buffy

Monday

• 9:30am to 10:45am — Thaxted · Bardfield Road

• 11:15am to 12:30pm — Great Chesterford · Jackson's Lane

• 1:30pm to 3:00pm — Saffron Walden · Leverett Way

Tuesday

• 9:30am to 10:45am — Flitch Green · Tanton Road

• 11:15am to 12:30pm — Great Dunmow · Woodlands Park Drive (temporary location – usually Blackwater Drive)

• 1:30pm to 3:00pm — Saffron Walden · Cromwell Road

Wednesday

• 9:30am to 10:45am — Stansted · Hornbeam Way

• 11:15am to 12:30pm — Newport · Bury Water Lane

• 1:30pm to 3:00pm — Carver Barracks · Rowney Close

Thursday

• 9:30am to 10:45am — Elsenham · Crocus Drive

• 11:15am to 12:30pm — Little Canfield · Burgattes Road

• 1:30pm to 3:00pm — Great Dunmow · Woodlands Park Drive

Friday

• 9:30am to 10:45am — Barnston

• 11:15am to 12:30pm — Takeley · Silver Jubilee Hall

• Friday afternoon — Community support bookings rather than a regular public stop

What's it like inside?

Buffy is essentially a little playgroup on wheels, spread across two floors of the bus. There's much more packed inside than you might expect, with different spaces for energetic play, quieter moments and getting creative.

Upstairs

Head upstairs and you'll find a mini ball pit and soft play area, along with a cosy reading nook and seating.

It's a nice mix of things to climb and explore alongside somewhere a little calmer to sit with a book.

Downstairs

Downstairs is where you'll find lots of the creative activities. There's a craft area, standing sand box and painting station, with overalls available to help keep clothes as clean as toddler painting realistically allows!

There's also a toilet on the ground floor with changing facilities, which is particularly handy when you're there with little ones.

Snack time

About halfway through the session, a little cup of fruit and vegetable segments is brought round for the children.

It's a lovely little pause in the session before they head back to playing and exploring.

A reassuring little detail

One thing I really like about Buffy is that the bus doors are kept shut during the session for safety.

Little ones can't simply wander out of the bus without the help of an adult. If you've got a toddler who likes to make a break for freedom the second you look the other way, it's a surprisingly comforting detail and makes the whole session feel that bit easier.

Walden Weekly tip

Leave the buggy outside with the rain cover already on.

Buggies can't come onto Buffy, so you'll leave yours right beside the bus on the pavement. Even if it looks dry when you arrive, I'd pop the rain cover on before you go inside.

It saves coming back to a soggy pram or having to hop off the bus halfway through when the rain inevitably appears!

The bus is heated, but it is still a bus, so layers are a good idea, particularly once the weather gets colder.

Spotted something that's changed?

This timetable was updated after a lovely Walden Weekly supporter noticed Buffy had changed its autumn route and let me know.

Local tips like this genuinely help me keep Walden Weekly useful and up to date for other families, so please keep them coming.

Before you go

Buffy moves between lots of locations and occasional changes can happen, so it's always worth checking the latest update before making a special journey.

Facebook for same-day cancellations and route changes: Buffy Play Bus on Facebook

Contact: info@buffyplaybus.org · 07749 031086