This Saturday, festival-goers planning to attend the World Marmalade Awards and Festival are being offered a special Marmalade Bus service.

The service, provided by Stagecoach, will offer hourly shuttle rides between Penrith Railway Station, Rheged and Pooley Bridge, stopping on the main road outside Dalemain, where the festival happens.

The managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, Mr Tom Waterhouse, said: "It’s a privilege to be involved in this wonderful festival, which attracts interest from around the world and raises a huge amount for charity."

Mr Waterhouse also said: "The Marmalade Bus is the environmentally-friendly way to get there.

"You can do your bit for the planet and avoid parking worries.

"It’s always a busy event so the bus is definitely the way to go."

The bus service will be free, but donations are encouraged for the hospice and Home Carlisle and North Cumbria.

Mr Waterhouse said: "We won’t be charging fares but there will be buckets on board to raise money for Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Cumbria.

"We hope passengers will donate any spare change."

The marmalade bus will operate every hour from 9.10am to 5.10pm from Penrith Railway Station, reaching Dalemain in 13 minutes.

Passengers can also hop on the bus at Rheged at 18 minutes past the hour.

Return journeys from Pooley Bridge are scheduled hourly from 9.40am to 5.40pm, with a stop at Dalemain seven minutes later and at Rheged upon request.

The Marmalade Bus service is sponsored by Westmorland Family, who also operate Rheged.

The Forty Farms food and craft fair hosted by Rheged coincides with the Marmalade Festival.

This special bus service aims to enable food enthusiasts to easily shuttle between these two food-oriented events.

Beatrice Hasell-McCosh, director of the Dalemain World marmalade awards, said: "We are delighted to be working with Stagecoach and the Westmorland Family to bring you a free bus during the day of the Festival."

Ms Hasell-McCosh also said: "There will also be a special Marmalade gin tasting cruise on the Ullswater Steamers leaving from the Pooley Bridge Pier at 6.30pm on the 20th April".

The festival, is running from 10am to 4pm, is free to enter and will feature stalls, activities and marmalade tasting.

An exciting host of activities also include a marmalade tasting session, a meet-and-greet with Paddington Bear, and two Marmalade Question Time sessions.

Inspired talks by Fortnum's archivist Louise Woof, Helen Rebanks and a demo by Atsuko Hayashi will also take place.

Festival-goers can access these attractions, including entry into the mansion and gardens for a special festival price of £11, while children under 12 have free access.