Day 226 Two buses in Central London that work well as a pair. The No 343 and the No 344.

 I took the 1105 London Bridge train as far as West Croydon and then changed to the London Overground to reach New Cross Gate where I arrived at 1138. I had seen the bus lay over point not that long ago when I caught the No321 to Sidcup from the superstore next to the railway station. The bus starts from Jerningham Road, just beside Haberdasher's Askes school. As usual as I reached the road a No 343 left but there was another already waiting and the driver encouraged me to get inside out of the drizzle. 

London General's EH241 awaiting departure

This bus was EH241 of London General which departed for Aldgate at 1151 and it was very close to a London General garage as New Cross garage was the first stop after departure. The bus then turned away from its destination and headed south up and it was quite a climb up Pepys Road. This is the only service to use this road but at the top of the hill we joined with the No 484 route at Vesta Road.

Climbing up the hill with view across London the higher we went

We then descended over the Nunhead to Lewisham line and then went under the Crofton Park to Nunhead line along Frendsbury Road where we passed Honor Oak Dental Clinic. As we reached Brockley Way we then headed west for a short while with one of the P routes but soon that left to go another way to Peckham. Whilst doing this manouvere we appeared to cross the remains of the Crystal Palace High level route, there being  wall and what looked like part of n embankment opposite. This occurred as we went left at Ivydale Road and then right along Cheltenham Road.

Along Cheltenham Road in Peckham wide
variation of house building types up Stuart Road. War damage perhaps?

This took the bus along Rye Hill Park and then to East Dulwich Road before we ran into Peckham itself along Rye Lane. We reached Peckham Rye station at 1210 and after a short spell past the Aylesham shopping centre as a one way road we turned left into Peckham High Street. 

Entrance to Aylesham shopping centre

This road becomes Peckham Road so as to once again past Delboy's Reliant Robin rather than carry on towards Camberwell the bus turned right into Southampton Way and this took us to Cottage Green in concert with the No 136. On reaching the Camberwell Public Baths the bus driver was requested to wait as he catching up with the previous service. 

Gradually disintegrating shield at Cottage Green

Camberwell Public Baths and Washrooms

Once underway again we turned right into Albany Road with the No 42 now joining us for a short duration before we headed left along Thurlow Street then Flint Road which took us to the Walworth Road and subsequently to Elephant and castle. 

Extensive building work Elephant and Castle 

The site of the pink shopping centre now undergoing
works

The Shard as viewed from Newington Causeway

There are extensive works where on my earlier journeys there was the pink shopping centre  and we passed all of these and then selected Newington Causeway so as to reach Borough High Street and the approach to London Bridge. At Borough High Street we were again asked to wait for a while and I saw on a phone kiosk the offer of a job smuggling Marmite into the USA with a number to call. 

Tower Bridge Road

Last of three buses which cross Tower Bridge

The bus turned right along Tooley Street rather than cross London Bridge and once past the earlier St Olaves school building that closed in 1968 and is now a hotel we turned left to cross Tower Bridge. This bus is the last of the three buses that take Tower Bridge and the last time I did this would have been six years ago on the No 78. At The Tower we took the Minories past Tower Gateway DLR station and terminated inthe Aldgate bus station at 1256, 65 minutes after departure whereas the bus stop had suggested a 69 minute trip at New Cross,

Arrival at Aldgate

I crossed the road straight into Aldgate Underground station and took a Metropolitan line train the one stop to Liverpool Street. I then had a quick look around and had a comfort stop finally espying the last class 745 I hadn't previously seen on the way. I went out of the station at Bishopsgate and couldn't see a No 344 indicated on any of the bus stops. I thus resorted to my phone and could see a stop for it in Wormwood Street. When I got there though I saw a No 344 going down New Broad Street and so followed as quick as a good and found buses nestling under where Broad Street station used to be. There did not seem to be a normal bus stop so asked the driver of the bus I had followed and he pointed to a poster in the window. 'That's where it stops' he said. I rapidly crossed the road and boarded Abellio 2609 as the only passenger at 1325.

First bus stop of the No 344 but no totem to indicate it

The bus then retraced where I had come from to Wormwood street and then turned right into Bishopsgate following all the Morris Men which had been dancing outside Liverpool Street station as I walked around looking for the bus stop.

There was a Morris men troupe at Liverpool Street celebrating
St George's Day

After Bishopsgate the bus followed along Gracechurch Street and it looked as if we would be crossing London Bridge, but Lo! the bus turned left down monument Street to Lower Thames Street. This is only used by the No 344 as appeared to be Southwark Bridge when we turned left across it after passing under Cannon Street station.

The Monument

About to cross Southwark Bridge

A view you can't get on any other service bus,
the Millenium followed by Blackfriars bridge

Again no other bus can give you this the Shard
behind Cannon Street railway bridge

Beyond the bridge the bus went straight on; still alone along Southwark Bridge Road. We passed a road called Marshalsea Road and a fire brigade building which is now housing. At the end of this road we met other buses which terminate in Newington Causeway and we entered that by turning right at the Inner London Crown Court. Time was now 1344 as we again passed the Elephant and Castle. This time the bus threaded its way into St Georges Road which took us to the Imperial War Museum where we turned left and struck out for Lambeth Palace along with the No 360 and then the No 3. Rather than cross the river at Lambeth Bridge we followed along the river to Vauxhall Cross and went around the one way system around the railway arches to enter the bus station from the southwest.

Approaching Newington Causeway still as
the only bus to serve Southwark Bridge Road.
Same building in background I photographed
from the No 343

Loads of cranes at the Elephant and Castle

At 1400 we were heading along None Elms lane seeing plenty of new buildings being erected or recently erected such as the American Embassy and the flats now covering Battersea Power station.

Loads of flats now ring Battersea Power Station

Strange shaped block of flats next to the PS

Bridge still sports a Network Southeast sign for Battersea Dogs Home almost thirty years after
Privatisation!

 Once past Battersea park station we took Battersea Park Road to the Latchmere on to the junction with Falcon Road. we took Falcon Road all the way to Arding and Hobbs at Clapham Junction where the bus turned right and terminated at St John's Hill ar 1425, exactly an hour after departure from Liverpool Street station.

Emily's House on Battersea Park Road

Arrival at the terminus

Clapham Junction bus stop 

Nice relic from before the Grouping of the railways in 1923.

I then caught the 1439 Epsom Downs train home as the No 345 although it goes through Clapham Junction is in the middle of its route at that point, so one for another day.