Day 263 Two buses that worked well together the No 393 followed by the No 394.

 After church sitting in the morning we caught the 1305 to London Bridge where we separated. I took the Northern line to Chalk Farm arriving at 1354. The bus starts from outside the Roundhouse theatre venue but although the service pattern suggested a 9-14 minute interval service it was almost half an hour  at 1422 that Metroline's DEM2682 arrived with the No 393 service to Clapton Lea Bridge Roundabout.

Bus service runs every 9-13 minutes and is booked totake 3/4 of an hour

The starting pace is the Roundhouse theatre

DEM2686 heading to lay over

DEM2682 of Metroline approaching

We passed the Underground station on our left and then picked up loads of kids in sports gear. We soon took the right Prince of Wales Road which lead via Kentish Town West station to Kentish Town High Street. We were accompanied by the No 46 on this road but after turning left up Kentish Town's High Street we took the right turn into Leighton Road which meant this was the only bus route that served the road. This road enabled us to turn right into Brecknock Road which I had recently used on the No 390. Indeed we followed that route across Camden Road and into York Way before peeling away to the East along  North Road.

Kentish Town Road

Old bus garage North Road

Travelling along this road we passed the Pleasance Theatre and then an old London General Omnibus Company garage now called Busworks. Apparently the building was built to repair horse buses in Victorian times. Going sharp left at the Caledonian Road junction we used Hilmarton Road to access Camden Road where wee turned right and took Parkhurst Road to the Nag's Head. Turning right here with took the Holloway Road all the way to Highbury Corner, where we arrived at 1500.

Great Northern Piccadilly and Brompton railway sign at
Holloway Road Underground station

Highbury Corner

From here we initially took St Pauls Road then Highbury Grove before taking Highbury Park once again as the only route serving the road and we did the entire road to Clissold Park. Here we turned right and then left along Stoke Newington Church Road once again as the sole bus route until after we had passed the church and then joined other routes into Stoke Newington. Beyond Stoke Newington having turned North up the A10 the bus took Cazenove Road to the Upper Clapton Road.

Highbury Estate

Leaside Road, alone again

 

There were considerable hold ups at this junction as the traffic lights seemed to badly phased and it took and inordinate amount of time to do the zigzag into Warwick Grove. Still on our own we then descended towards the River Lea and went under the Main line to Cambridge on Leaside Road, on to Theydon Road and then right up the hill on Southwold Road. At this stop it was announced the bus was terminating. It was by now 1536, so the bus had taken an hour and 14 minutes around half an hour more than its booked time for the journey, so the decision was understandable. It did, however, mean I had to wait for the next bus DEM2686 to do the next stops as far as the roundabout where I arrived at 1542 having only had to wait four minutes for the next No 393.

Disembarkation from DEM2682 at Clapton Station

Only bus at this stop

Last stop, just around corner from station, but had to be done by bus so on DEM2686

From here the journey planner told me it would take 9 minutes to reach Homerton hospital the start point for the No 394. I took a while to orient myself to the correct bus stop and then caught a No 425 for a few stops to the hospital. I must have just missed one as it wasn't until 1618 that a bus pulled up to terminate at Homerton Hospital.

The service should take about half an hour

I have been here twice before

Bus arriving to lay over

It was therefore not until 1626 that I was aboard Stagecoach's 37780 on my way to Islington Police station. Initially the bus followed the route of the No 236 to Homerton High Street, then left at Ponsford Street and under the London Overground lines to then turn towards Hackney along Morning Lane. Before we reached Mare Street the bus turned left down Valette Street so as to reach Mare Street just north of Richmond Road. The bus took Richmond Road so was immediately on its own. This lead us to a junction with Lansdowne Drive which we turned left into thereby running down the western side of London Fields park. This meant we joined with the No 236 briefly at Broadway Market before heading off alone again down Sheep Lane which took us to Ash Grove depot. Here the bus exchanged drivers between 1643 and 1645 and then set off along the Regents Canal and then over it to take Whiston Street to Kingsland Road.

This area was very much a mix of Victorian villas
and recent builds. Were the earlier buildings bomb damaged

St Leonards Hospital Kingsland Road

At St Leonards Hospital we stopped at 1654 and then continued south past the Museum of the Home but soon took a right on our own again along Falkirk Street, Crondall street and Pitfield and Buckland Streets to reach the New North Road. Here the bus when left at 1700, but came immediately subject to a diversion notice. This meant instead of turning right we headed straight down to Moorfields Eye Hospital and on the the Old Street roundabout. 

Regan way, a turning off Crondall Street

Approaching Moorfields Eye
Hospital

The route we took to get back onto City Road,
Bath Street

Having taken Old Street westwards the bus took the next right, Bath Street, which took us past the back entrance to Moorfields Eye Hospital and subsequently back on track at City Road. We then ran up City Road to the Angel Islington and then onwards along Pentonville Road. After a while we took the right turn Penton Street and then the right turn after Chapel Street Market, Tolpuddle street to terminate at Islington Police station at 1710.

Our destination Tolpuddle Street Islington

One interested No 394 bus
driver happy to hear
the purpose of my efforts.

The bus driver who very expertly brought me
 from Ash Grove depot to Islington

I then walked back to Pentonville Road so as to walk to St Pancras where I caught a Thameslink train home via East Croydon. There was however a points failure which delayed arrival home to around 7 PM.

Day 262 To Harlow to do bus that only runs Monday to Friday school or shopping hours the No 392.

I caught the 1115 Peterborough train at 1123 at East Croydon and alighted at Finsbury Park. From here I took the Victoria line two stops to Tottenham Hale and as I bought my ticket a Stansted Express train arrived which was next stop Harlow. This meant I arrived at Harlow Town station at 1223, only an hour after leaving East Croydon. The walk from Harlow Town station to the bus station in town was quite a difficult one though owing to all the roadworks but it still only took 22 minutes.

Nearly new double-decker from Central Connect

The No 392 laying over in the bus station

The No 392 is highlighted in orange-7 a day.

The bus station was not located where it said it was on the map but that area seemed to be off limits and on the gloriously sunny day it was a pleasure to wait under the trees for my No 392 bus at 1300.

The new bus station with 392 arriving

The bus is operated by Epping Forest Community Transport and arrived bang on time. Three of us boarded but only I paid and there seemed to be no mechanism for issuing a ticket. The bus turned left out of the bus station and then went left again passing the Harlow playhouse before then turning right heading SSW past Paycock Road  and into Water Lane.

Harlow Playhouse

Central Connect and Arriva buses at
 Ambercrombie Way

Passing SSW'ly at Abercrombie Way

This after passing an area called Sumners eventually took us to a roundabout with the B181 signposted Epping and the bus turned left in that direction. We turned right along Common Road and this brought us to a settlement called Bumbles Green. We next turned right at a roundabout in the direction of Broxbourne and this then took us through Nazeing. 

Passing a country pile near Broadley common  

Lots of black and white buildings
with some thatched roofs

Nazeing town centre

Beyond Nazeing we crossed over the River Lea and the Lea Navigation and then the railway line by Broxbourne station. Beyond this we crossed the New River and then at the T junction at the end turned right up Broxbourne High Street. Here one of the other two passengers left. The bus then followed the route I had taken many months ago on the No 310 to Hoddesdon and terminated at the clock Tower at 1327.

Driving along Broxbourne High Street

Arrival at Hoddesdon with original
London Country Bus Company coloured Arriva
bus

Hoddesdon Clock Tower

The bus No 392 on its way back from Hoddesdon to Harlow, with UNO bus coming the other way

I then walked back in the direction of Broxbourne railway station from Hoddesdon town centre. I then walked down Upper Marsh to reach the New River footpath and then I followed that to the railway station.

Walking along the New River footpath near Broxbourne

I then walked to the station and caught the 1423 train to Tottenham Hale station and returned the way I had come via Finsbury Park and the Thameslink Horsham service back to East Croydon.

Returns from boundary of zone 6 to Harlow, no 
ticket was provided for the bus journey

Day 261 (March 22nd) A trip to Stevenage to ride a No 391.

 The TFL route No 391 used to run from Richmond to Hammersmith and Fulham but was merged into the No 306 which I did after the No 391 ceased. I thus had to travel on the 1005 from Waddon to London Bridge and change for the 1046 Thameslink train to Cambridge which arrived at 1130. The No 391 bus runs only on a Saturday and is only a two hourly service on the even hours.

The view of the bus station from
Stevenage railway station

Bus frequency chart, there isn't a 1630 to Weston

Two Arriva and one
Stagecoach bus

Another bus company Vectare

A recent arrival from Arriva Northwest

My Centrebus No 391 arriving

Boarding Centrebus No 551

I thus had nearly an hour to wait in Stevenage bus station but eventually the bus arrived at bay J and we were on our way at 1230 on Centrebus No 551 based at Luton. We exited the bus station initially heading south to do a complete circuit of the roundabout so as to be able to reach the railway station on the opposite side of the dual carriageway. We had two additional passengers to me from departure and two others joined at the railway station. From here we went left under the railway into an industrial area where I later found the Arriva bus depot is located. Turning right at the next roundabout we headed North parallel with the A1M and LNER mainline for a while. However when the bus reached the next roundabout it turned right into Bridge Road and then left into Fairview Road which seemed to be 1970-80s housing estate. This took us to Fishers Green.

Fishers Green

We then left Stevenage as we passed into Todds Green and stopped at the delightfully named bus stop called Todds Green postbox. After this instead of going straight on into St Ippolyts the bus went hard right and then after crossing under the A1M took the old roman road now the B197 through Graveley village. Having passed through the village the bus continued onwards to reach Lannock Hill before taking the right turn signposted Weston and arrived at the terminal point just past the village pond and green at 1255. I checked with the bus driver what time she would pick up next time at Graveley (1510) and then headed off to look at the village and then walk over the Chilterns to Graveley.

Going under the A1M for Graveley

Entering Weston with double glazing distorting
photo

Journey's End

A walk totally alone in lovely countryside

Weston pond and green

I reached the Waggon and Horses at Graveley at 1430 bought a pint and the same driver passed me going to Weston at 1450.

I thus crossed the road and awaited her return at the due time of 1510. I was the only passenger and alighted at the industrial estate to have a look at the Arriva bus garage and then walked to the railway station to take the 1609 GNR train to Finsbury Park and then the next Thameslink train to East Croydon arriving home at 1730.

Interesting dead tree

View cresting the hill looking towards Stevenage

Badger set

Graveley airstrip

The way I had come

Bus driver waved to me as she passed me outside
the Waggon and Horses

Tickets from Boundary of zone 6 to Stevenage, Centrebus
bus tickets