Day 286 The No 422 from North Greenwich to Bexleyheath Town Centre.

 After collecting a bookcase from Emmaus and taking to the ARC in Caterham I was ready to catch the 1235 London Bridge departure. Here I boarded a Jubilee line train to North Greenwich arriving at 1320, but rather than get a bus straight away I went to have a look at the Thames cable car set up. Thus it was 1350 that I was waiting at stop B for the No 422.

Inside North Greenwich bus station

Waiting at bus stop B

Stagecoach 12343 arriving

Stagecoach 12343 picked me up at 1357 and initially followed the route of almost all the other buses away from the bus station but soon went right into John Harrison Way as sole user to reach Millenium Primary School. The bus next goes straight under the A102M and down Blackwall Lane to the Woolwich Road joining with other routes as it did so. At this point the bus turned east returning towards the A102M, however insead of joining this road it did a complete circuit of the roundabout under the road so as to be able to take the left into Combedale Road. From here we followed roughly parallel with the motorway up Westcombe Hill past Westcombe Park railway station to reach the Royal Standard at Blackheath at 1413.

Low stratus on the building tops

At the end of Blackwall Lane

Waiting to climb Westcombe Hill with A102M 
beside us

The bus then headed east over the A102M along Charlton Road to Charlton House and continued on the same road through The Village and Charlton Park Road heading for Woolwich. 

Crossing the A102M on Charlton Road

Woolwich Arsenal station was reached at 1431 and after this we turned right along the A206 Plumstead Road to near the garage. At this juncture drivers were exchanged betwixt 1434 and 1437. We next avoided the large roundabout with the bus garage in the centre by heading straight along the bus only section towards the Plumstead station stop. 

A No 53 waiting in Plumstead to return to Lambeth North

After running along Plumstead High Street the bus turned right up Wickham Lane, now with only tthe No 96 for company. On reaching Upper Wickham Lane we entered the Borough of Bexley and turning left at Okehampton Crescent we left the route of the No 96 but joined with the B11 service. There seemed to be quite a number of diversions in this area as we took King Harolds Way and then Bedonwell Road. Although the bus stops only said No 422 on them I saw SL3, and 301 and later we joined with the No 401.

Three No 96s in Wickham Lane

Buses under diversion at Bedonwell Road

We forked right along Hythe Avenue, which meant once again we were on our own and this road fed into Cumberland Drive.Taking Pickford Lane at the roundabout now with both the B11 and B12 we ran past Bexleyheath railway station at 1507. This road led straight into The Avenue and at the end of this we turned left at Crook Log and entered The Broadway. The bus looped around the pedestrianised part of Bexleyheath High Street and terminated at the clock tower at 1516.

Stagecoach 12343 leaving at Woolwich clock tower

I decided to return home via Bexley station as it appeared to be as accessible as Bexleyheath and immeadiattelyy a No 132 arrived which I took to Bexley High Street. Annoyingly I missed the 1542 train byy seconds and had to await the next at 1557. This train then just missed the 1625 train home at London Bridge by 3 minutes so I ttook tthe 640 ttrain tto Norwood Junction hoping tto cath a London Overground to West Croydon. No such luck, all it meantt was I had to wait for the train which leftt London Bridge at 1655 and arrived home at half past five.  

Day 285 A visit to Sevenoaks once more but this time to do a bus that no longer exists. The ex No 421.

Before bus deregulation the London Transport Country Area had a No 421 from Sevenoaks to Kemsing, and occasionally Crowdleham and Heverham. Arriva changed this to a route to Dartford and now Go Coach provide a demand led service for that area apart for their Route number 6. So it was for the 1330 No 6 bus from Sevenoaks bus station that I drove to Orpington and then caught a train to Sevenoaks. The 1239 Hastings train delivered me to Sevenoaks station at 1250, just in time to see the 1252 Blackfriars and Charing Cross local trains depart simultaneously. I walked up Tubs Hill and went left along Pembroke Road again passing the bus stop with numerous buses indicated on it that no longer run. I arrived at the bus station at 1315 and settled down to wait for the 1330.

Only one of these still exist

Almost an hourly service

Awaiting my bus to pull in

Go Coach 3901 arrived on time and took us around the back of the High Street and straight over into Pembroke Road. At Tubs Hill we descended to reach Sevenoaks Railway station. At this point we turned right rather than go over the railway bridge taking Hitchen Hatch Lane and then Mount Harry Road. I noticed here a couple of bus stops indicating the No 404 and No 421, both of which no longer run in Sevenoaks. On reaching St Johns Hill (A225) we turned left. As we approached Bat and Ball the bus went right along the A25 but only briefly before taking Greatness Lane. We then took Weavers Lane and Mill Lane to return to the A25 Seal Road which we followed into Seal at quite a lick. Here we turned left ino School Lane which met Childsbridge Lane and we followed this over the Maidstone line and the M26. 

Briefest of views of Seal church

We went left after the M26 was crossed into Castle Drive and followed a loop of a housing estate so as to be able to cross Childsbridge lane from Dynes Road into West End.This took us past Kemsing library and then we turned right down St Ediths Road which led to Noah's Ark where we terminated at 1352.

Noah's Ark village sign

Go Coach 3901 waiting its return in redundant
bit of road cut off by M26

Crossing M26

Go Coach 3901 returning to Sevenoaks

Red Kite soaring over M26

Kent oasthouse in Kemsing

Otford pond No 421 on sign

Kemsing library

Pond at Otford

No 421 now joined with 403 by The Bull at Otford

No 421 alone before taking Twitton Lane to Polhill

Kemsing War Memorial

Top of St Ediths Road Kemsing

From here I decided to walk back to where I had left the car in Orpington as it was such a lovely day for November. This took me back the way the bus had come to Dynes Road and after that I took a footpath to cross he railway line just souh of Otford station. 

Walking through the churchyard I emerged at the pond. I next followed High Street and Pilgrim's Way West to reach Twitton Lane. A the end of this road I made a little dog-leg over the railway line and walked along Old Polhill. I was surprised to find three cars and a van along here but they seemed to be railway workers for the enrance to Polhill tunnel.

The means of crossing under M25 Old Polhill

The remains of Old Polhill

Now climbing above M25

10 minutes to wait for Orpington train

Old Polhill was a fair climb and it was almost two hours aftter leaving Kemsing when I emerged on the old A21 by what was the Polhill Arms in days gone by. I then took the route of the old A21 to Knockholt railway station and took a train back to Orpington and drove home.

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 expecting 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 us as we took the left turn 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 Matthew's 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 picking up passengers 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.