Day 284 A trip to Crawley from Sutton on the No 420 on 21/10/25

 After church sitting for two hours and collecting 9 boxes of books from All Saints Sanderstead I caught the 1306 Epsom Downs train as far as Sutton. On arrival I needed to walk down the length of the High Street and beyond to reach Bushey Road garage where the No 420 begins its journey south. 

The No 420 timetable an almost regular hourly service
taking almost two hours

The last time I shall be here

Same company owns Sutton garage as runs 
this serice

Metrobus 6122 arriving

I arrived at Sutton station at 1319 and was at the appropriate stop E at 1337, however there was no letter appended to the stop so I asked a passing member of staff and he said that must be the correct stop. At 1339 the Metrobus No 6122 arrived from around the corner. I was expecing a double decker as this was what I had mostly seen on this route and indeed those we passed going the other way were all the new double deckers in the No 68xx range. 

The top of Sutton High Street

Banstead High Street

At 1351 over ten minutes after departure I was back at Sutton railway station and then headed south up Brighton Road as far as Chiltern Road where we forked left and took the road to Banstead. Here we left the Greater London area and entered Surrey with the S1 for company. Crossing the A2022 we entered Banstead town centre and finally struck off on our own at the end of the High Street where we went left and the tfl routes go right.

The only route on Tattenham Way is the No 420

Garratts Lane took us to the A217 where the bus went left and then right at Tattenham Way still on its own. Once across the A240 we were joined by the No 318 route but this left as we took the left of Merland Rise but now joining with the No 480 Metrobus route. This road took us into Preston Lane which was rather surreal as there were adverts on the bus for discounts for Metrobus users for entry to Preston Manor in Brighton! 

Passing Tadworth station

As we turned left at the roundabout to Tadworth station the No 460 route joined us at 1420. At the lights at Tadworth Street the bus turned left and thereby reached the A217 again at the Tadworth roundabout. From here the bus followed the A217 straight to the M25 and down Reigate Hill into Reigate. Owing to roadworks by the 30mph sign and the level crossing being closed we took until 1438 to reach Reigate station having waited for a GWR Reading train to pass.

Forlorn bus stop on the A217

Crossing the M25

We took the one way system around Reigate and at the intersection of Bancroft Road and Bell Street turned left rather than go the quick way to Redhill. The bus went left along Lesbourne road passing the site of the London Country bus depot-since redeveloped. This was travelling in the opposite way I had cycled with Mother Bernie in the previous month and we followed exactly that route in reverse to reach St Matthews church Redhill. We could not follow our route beyond that as we had walked through the pedestrian area so went south about this and entered the bus station from the south at 1454. 

Descending Reigate Hill

Everyman Theatre Reigate

Church 11 on the ride and stride Hatchlands Road

The route to Crawley from here was almost directly down the A23 with a deviation into the East Surrey Hospital at 1458. Salfords was reached at 1504 and Horley at 1512 and by 1518 we were stopped at Gatwick Airport. We left the A23 once past the runway and went left into City Place Gatwick where the original terminal building was surrounded by office blocks including that of the CAA.

Reigate bus station

East Surrey Hospital car park

Salfords Fish and Chips

Horley bowling club

Gatwick Airport

We headed left after this into Gatwick Road and at the stop nearest the Metrobus garage exchanged drivers betwixt 1521 and 1524. After this we headed for Manor Royal and went straight down Northgate Street and into Crawley town centre where we terminated at the bus station at 1530-exactly on time looking at the timetable. 

View of Gatwick Airport from the bus

Tilgate Park advert where our son works at the zoo

County Mall Crawley where journey ended

A journey of 1 hour and 50 minutes, not really practical for our son to use in the rush hour when the train only takes less than half an hour to Three Bridges.

Day 283 A short trip to Richmond to do the No 419 to Roehampton

I caught the 1130 Victoria train to Clapham Junction and changed to the 1213 Windsor and Eton Riverside train arriving at Richmond at 1228. From the station I walked along George Street to stop B.  However on arrival at this stop I found it was closed because of emergency roadworks in the adjacent part of the road. The notice suggested going to a previous or the next stop. Since there isn't a previous stop I walked to the next which typically was the one just outside Richmond station. In the process a No 419 went by, so it was 1243 before I was aboard my No 419, RATP no 30055 of Hounslow garage,

The No 419 sailing by as I waited at the closed
bus stop

Closed bus stop B in George ST

I had to wait less than ten minutes by the time
I had walked back to Richmond station

RATP 30055 approaching with my No 419

Passing Richmond station

On reaching the Great Chertsey Road (the A316) we took this eastbound past Manor Circus to the junction with the A205 accompanied by the No190 and R68. Beyond this junction though the bus turned right along the Lower Richmond Road towards Mortlake and on towards Barnes with only the No 533 route.

On Lower Richmond Road

The location I terminated in the No 378

Approaching Barnes Bridge

This road took me past where I had disembarked from the No378 earlier this year and then followed the river to Barnes Bridge station where we arrived at 1301. Beyond the station the bus forged off on its own path down Lonsdale Road then right down Suffolk Road, left Ferry Road which becomes Verdun Road before rejoining Lonsdale Road.for the run to the Hammesmith Bridge approach Road in Castlenau.

St Pauls school Lonsdale Road

Looking back towards Hammersmith Bridge

The Hammersmith bridge is still closed and the bus turned away from it and headed towards Barnes station which was reached at 1316. After passing Barnes station we went straight over the A205 and headed up past Roehampton University and Queen Mary's Hospital.

Barnes Common

Passing the university

The road dips after the hospital and as we climbed up the other side the bus went right into Alton road and then next left, Bessborough Road and finally terminated at Norley Vale at 1328. The bus took almost exactly the same time as was stated on the bus stop timetable. 

At the terminal point Norley Vale

Bus stop had a timetable at the Norley vale end

To get home I took a No 265 from the same bus stop to Shannon Corner. Here I changed to a No 131 to Raynes Park and there took the next train to Clapham Junction and a Southern train home from there arriving at 1530.

A Brush Type 4 47727 from the 1960s being passed
by a new Arterio class 701 set.

Day 282 Much nearer home again; to Crystal Palace for the No 417 and Kingston to Epsom on the No 418.

 I caught a No 407 to the top of Tamworth Road and then a London Overground train to Anerley. A No 157 conveyed me from there to Crystal Palace Parade and at 1205 I was aboard Arriva London's ES34.

Two No 417s waiting at Crystal Palace Parade

Journey should take 36 minutes

The final bus of 7 to do here

Arriva's ES34 coming out of lay over

This bus takes two sides of the Westow triangle at Upper Norwood before turning left in Central Hill at Gipsy Hill police station. Given storm Amy was battering the far north it was very windy at this elevation with the trees swaying wildly as we passed Norwood park.

A Just Married Routemaster ahead on Westow Street

A view over London before turning into
Central Hill

The trees in Norwood park blowing about

Beyond this point as the bus climbed towards crown point the No 417 was on its own but crossing over at the lights at crown point we were joined by the No 249. However, this meeting was brief as we turned right into Leigham Court Road and ran alone until near Glennie Road where the No 315 joined us for a short while to Knollys Road. The run down to Streatham Hill station from here was alone, but as we turned right onto the A23 many buses joined us for the run to Brixton bus garage.

The No 417 on its own

Streatham Hill station at the end of the road

At the bus garage we exchanged drivers between 1233 and 1236 and then set off turning left on to the south circular for a short while before taking the right at Kings Avenue. This road I also covered on the No 137 and No 355. On this occasion though the traffic was really bad at the northern end where we eventually went left into Clapham Park Road at 1255.

Roadworks in Streatham High Road

Power cable drums

Power cables for strengthening London's power

Baring right at Park Hill we reached Clapham Common station and then went right into Long Road and finally Rookery Road where we terminated at 1302.The journey was billed to take 36minuttes but actually took almost an hour, mostly owing to the traffic jam in Kings Avenue.

Crossing Clapham Common

ES34 returning towards Crystal Palace

The next bus starts from Kingston so I walked to where I could catch a No 345 to Clapham Junction station. However, on arrival I found all trains around the Kington loop were delayed owing to trespassers. Making a swift decision, as it was 1331 I boarded the 1333 as far as Raynes Park where I knew there were two buses which I could catch to Kingston. Boy did I chose the wrong one. The first to arrive was the No 131 and checking the timetable it stated it would only take six minutes longer than the No 57. I boarded the bus at 1351 which should have taken 25 minutes, there were two sets of roadworks and long holdups at each roundabout which meant the journey took nearer 40 minutes.

RATP 45160 laying over 

Bus takes 45 minutes and runs every twenty

There are some 500s and 700s here

RATP 45160 approaching

Since the No 418 only runs every twenty minutes it was not until 1517 that I was aboard RATP 45162 at the Cromwell Road bus station. This bus repeats the route of the No 406 as it round the one way system to access the High Street at Kingston and then heads west towards Surbiton.

St Marks hill

Climbing up St Marks Hill after passing Surbiton Girls School the road was half closed as some workmen were chopping up the remains of a tree which had recently been blown into the road. We then continued along the road in the direction of Tolworth Broadway and the Tolworth roundabout where we arrived at 1537.

Tolworth Roundabout

Chessington train still of Class 455 stock

We continued along the A240 in the direction of Ewell following the same path as the No 406 until we reached Ruxley Lane. At this point the bus finally branched off on its own for the length of this road.

Entering Surrey from the LB of Kingston

Ruxley Church Ruxley Lane

Joining Hook lane

Once we reached Hook lane we went left joining with the sparsely operated No 467 until we reached Long Lane. Along this road the bus was the only user to its far end where we turned left and joined with two ' E ' buses the E5 and E9. At the railway bridge the bus turned hard right, as presumably it was two high to go through and took Chase Road to reach Epsom station where it terminated at 1604. I then caught the 1633 train to Carshalton and the No 407 home.

The bus doesn't go into the station forecourt to terminate