After a visit from the plumber to replace our stop cock we went to the bus stop to catch a bus to East Croydon. Here we parted company, Charmaine taking a train to Clapham Junction, whilst I headed onto the 1103 Thameslink train to Farringdon. At Farringdon I boarded an Elizabeth line train to Stratford arriving at 1150. There is a half hourly service from Stratford to Hertford East and the next train departed at 1211. It wasn't obvious when I got on the train owing to the curve of the platform but it transpired the train was 10 coaches in length. I was on coach nine and once we were approaching Northumberland Park announcements were made that anyone wishing to get off should move two coaches to the front. This was not easy for some people particularly those who had been in coach ten. Indeed I noticed a number not get to the door in time before the train left. The same happened at almost every station as we went along as the seats on the class 720s are rather too close together either side of the aisle, so if you are carrying anything it's slow going. On arrival at Hertford East at 1300 I asked the driver about the issue and told him how the announcements in the carriages are inadequate to allow people to move in time. I then walked to the bus station having also a little look around town as the bus is only every two hours and the next one was at 1415.
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| No longer the No 351 to Bishop's Stortford-it was replaced from 8th Jan 2024 by the No 35 |
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Quite a variation of operators at the bus station,
Vectare, Uno and Centrebus |
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Narrow boat on River Lea at wharf by bus
station |
I found to my horror at the bus station there is no longer a No 351 and when I checked it seems it was renumbered to No 35 on the 8th January this year. Nevertheless I was there so went ahead with the trip and boarded Central Connect's No 364 at 1415, an almost brand new bus.
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| My bus having just arrived from Bishop's Stortford |
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| Almost new Central Connect No 364 |
Initially the bus followed the same route as the No 310 back down the main road (A119) towards Ware and then onwards to St Margarets where we took the hard left at the roundabout signposted Roydon. Once over the level crossing the bus continued straight on whereas a No 310 was visible on the road which headed off to the right.
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| Ware with New River behind me |
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| Repurposed maltings in St Margaretsbury |
Once through St Margarets the bus continued for a while towards Roydon but when the road forked it went left down the B180 labelled Hunsdon and the Hadhams. One passenger got on in the middle of nowhere in Hunsdonbury before we continued on to Hunsdon. In Hunsdon I passed a very odd named road- Sheares Hoppit!
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| Very narrow road the B180 |
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| Location where person joined bus |
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| Other side of road-same location |
From Hunsdon we went to Widford where one passenger joined us and then on to Much Hadham and Little Hadham. At these latter villages at least seven people boarded and these remained on the bus to the end.
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| Weatherboarded properties in Widford |
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| Black and white thatched houses in Much Hadham |
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| Rather non straight properties in Much Hadham |
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| Ford over River Ash in Little Hadham |
Where we met the the old A120 we turned right and this subsequently joined the new A120 and we followed this to Stortford Fields. As on the No 311 the bus here took a detour through Tesco's, where there was no custom and then descended into the Stort valley to terminate at Bishop's Stortford Interchange at 1510.
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Bishop's Stortford interchange, bus almost
immediately returned to Hertford |
Here I wondered if I could get a bus to Chelmsford in order to try again to do a true No 351. However it appeared that the only way to get there was to catch a No 305 to Hatfield Heath and there take a No 59 to Chelmsford. The bus wouldn't leave Bishop's Stortford for another 30 minutes and so it would not be before 1700 that I would arrive at Chelmsford. That was, according to the timetable, too late to catch a No 351 over its whole route. I thus abandoned the idea and caught a train home.
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