Riding the Routes: 2025

So at 1123 I was aboard a No 410 bus heading for West Croydon bus station. However, approaching Purley Way the traffic was so heavy that after 4 changes of the lights the bus could no move because those in front were prevented from doing so by the box junction. The driver let myself and one other off the bus and I walked to Waddon station to see the 1135 depart. The next train would not be until 1200 so I walked to Stafford Road and at 1143 was aboard a No 157 which got me to West Croydon bus station at 1151.

Stand B2 at Croydon bus station

Service every 12 minutes and takes 32 minutes

A No 403 disgorges its last passengers on arrival

WVL488 arriving to pick me up

At 1157 London General's WVL448 arrived to convey me to Warlingham Sainsbury's on route No 403. 50 years ago this bus was the No 403A and would have gone on to Sevenoaks bus station, it then became the No 483 and finally the No 20 when operated by Kentish bus.

Not the No 410 I boarded at 1123

A No 407 a route to be done next time

A No 405 hopefully to be done later today

The bus turned right along Wellesley Road and continued on past the Fairfield Halls and once past the Croydon Flyover the road was only served by this bus route. We continued to be alone as we crossed Coombe Lane and turned right down Aberdeen Road. Turning left we joined many other routes but then with the No 412 we bared left at the Swan and Sugarloaf. At the roundabout, by the Little bay restaurant we have used a number of times, the bus went straight on along Selsdon Road but could not follow on under a low railway bridge and so with the No 412 we turned left up Sussex Road.

Blurred image as we were on move but shows
hopefully how low the railway bridge is

We then regained Selsdon Road briefly, before taking Carlton Road on the right just after the original location of Selsdon railway station. This put the No 405 on its own almost exclusively until Warlingham, and Carlton Road became Mayfield Road before we went left at Sanderstead Road. Along this road, the B269, we climbed up a substantial hill from near Sanderstead library, whilst at the top we briefly shared the road with the No 359. The hill flattens at the roundabout with All Saints Sanderstead church on the left and a pond which was full of water lilies. Going straight over we continued alone past Sandestead shops and stopped at Waitrose at 1218.

Climbing Sanderstead Hill

The stop at Waitrose strangely not referenced

From here we continued along the same road reaching Hamsey Green at 1222. We then left the Greater London area and entered the Surrey Borough of Tandridge reaching Warlingham Green where we joined with the bus Nos 409 and 411 and after a short while terminated at Sainsbury's at 1228.

The sign saying welcome to Croydon as we leave

The Warlingham sign

Warlingham community library

Surrey County Highways responsibility here

Journeys End

WVL488 outside what was the site of Chelsham
Country area garage

I then crossed over to the bus stop where I could have returned to Croydon but I chose to catch a No 409 which I had to pay for to get me to Caterham on the Hill. This was an ex Southdown PSV double decker and this deposited me at Westway at Caterham on the Hill at 1308. I checked the two bus stops for the No 404 on the south side of the common but the TFL website suggested the bus started from the North side at the same bus stop as the No 466. So I waited there for the next No 404, which was about 15 minutes wait by this time. However, when it arrived it only dwelt long enough for me to take a picture and it was off.

Bus indicated on sign

Just down the road from where I had recently
boarded the No 400 to East Grinstead

Abellio 8216 before it disappeared before I
could get on board

I ran across the common to try and catch it but I was too late. Thus I had another half hour to wait for the next one. Good job I had brought some reading matter!

Bus is half hourly at 25 and 55 past

Bus stop I should have waited at before

Abellio 8213 approaching

So finally I boarded Abellio's 8213 as the only passenger at 1357 and it took me back the way I had come on the No 409 but when we got to Banstead Road it carried straight on over Coulsdon Common like the No 466 does.

Looking across to The Fox on Coulsdon Common

Coulsdon Common

At Lacey Drive the bus struck off on its own right into an estate initially of 1930s origin, left in Homefield Road then right into Waddington Avenue and we then descended into a dry chalk valley. This put us just west of Kenley aerodrome and the Croydon Astronomical Observatory which was above Caterham Drive, which seemed to be comprised of more recent housing.

Caterham Drive with hill behind houses up to airfield

Turning left into The Glade we met Abellio 8214 coming the other way and subsequently took Keston Avenue back to Coulsdon Road. We went straight over the latter into The Crossways. This was the beginning of a complete loop utilising Tollers lane and Lacey Green. First we drove down Goodenough lane at 1413 and then returned via Ellis Road which got us back to Lacey Green. The housing here was 1960s and 1970s at the earliest with some much newer.

Lacey Green

Bus stops going both ways at this stop

Most of the journey had been on roads that only the No 404 uses and this continued as we took Marlpit Lane down past the pond. We didn't go straight down the hill to Coulsdon though, but went right at Stoneyfield Road which rejoined the No 466 route as far as Byron Avenue and then we took Rutherwick Rise around the tops of a large quarry with good views through the trees across the valley to the west. At the end of this road we joined Marlpit Avenue which took us to Marlpit Lane and then we did run towards Coulsdon.

Views through the trees of the valley beyond,
railings are to stop people falling into quarry.

Underneath the railway bridge at Coulsdon South

Instead of running into town after the Coulsdon South railway station stop the bus took the bypass where Coulsdon North station used to be and entered Coulsdon from the north end. We reached the library at 1431.

Coulsdon Town centre

From here we returned to the roundabout and took the entrance into Cane Hill estate the former asylum which has been replaced by modern housing. We reached the final stop at 1435.

The Asylum Chapel

The asylum Water Tower with Abellio 8213 in front

Waiting for the next No 405

I then walked down through the trees and various footpaths to Coulsdon South station with the intention of catching a No 405 to Redhill. I was just too slow for the 1448 version and had to await the 1505 bus that arrived at 1510. I took this to Redhill bus station and walked to Sainsbury's for some lunch and over to the Wetherspoon's for a cold cider as temperatures were now getting rather hot. My maximum temperature that day was 30.2 C or 86.4 F.

No 405 every 15 minutes taking almost an hour

Arriva's HT23 has just arrived

Redhill railway station

Taking the A23

At 1626 I had boarded Arriva's HT23 which takes the A23 for the bulk of its journey and runs along the with No 411 on its way out of Redhill. There is however, a short bit prior Gatton Point where the No 411 goes its own way and the No 405 is alone. Both buses from there continue to Merstham where we paused at Quality Street, the stop being called Merstham station but is the source of the name of the chocolates.

Heading north with North Downs in distance

Sharing the route with the No 411 at Merstham

The original Quality Street

Going up the hill we passed St Katherines which was church 15 on the Surrey Churches Ride and Stride I did with Mother Berni last September. Just after this the No 411 turns off right for Chaldon and the No 405 is then on its own through Hooley until we reach Coulsdon South again where we meet up with the No 463. There is usually a hold up at the top of the hill as this where the M23 joins the A23 and we joined the queue at the Iron Railway Vineyard at 1643.

The Iron Railway Vineyard

Queue where M23 meets A23

Bridge parapet on road next to Starbucks is original
from the Surrey Iron Railway

The queue wasn't too arduous though and we passed Hooley at 1648 and re-entered the GLA at 1651 and were back at Coulsdon South railway station at 1655. At 1701 in Coulsdon High Street we passed a No 404 coming the other way.

Approaching Coulsdon South Railway station

Route up to Cane Hill

Coulsdon High Street

A No 404 coming the other way in
Coulsdon High Street

The bus then joins the A23 again which deviates along the bypass which the No 404 took and as we moved along we gained more buses with us as we progressed towards Purley. At Purley this bus doesn't go straight on towards Croydon but goes around the library where there are 6 other routes and takes Pampisford Road at Purley Cross. This road used to have the No 455 bus, before that was stopped, and a replacement has been found in the No 166.

Continuing along the A23 towards Purley

Purley Tesco's

Outside Purley library it looked
like some 'yarn bombing' had taken place

We followed Pampisford all the way to a roundabout where it becomes Haling Park Road and then the bus turned right into Warham Road to get us to the Swan and Sugar Loaf at 1723.