I combined this trip with a visit to our dentist in Orpington, leaving my car a fair way away to avoid the yellow lines. After my check up I then walked down the hill to Orpington station to catch the 1218 to Sevenoaks. On arrival at Sevenoaks station I looked at the bus stop plan and saw the No 402 started from bus stop A. I found this across the road but after a while noticed there was a bus stop closed sign and walked past to find the operative bus stop, which was other side of some Thames water road works. However, the 1253 bus didn't come so I resolved to walk up Tubs Hills to the bus station. Whilst doing so I went left along Pembroke Road and passed a bus stop that had a number of routes on it that I no longer thought were in operation the Nos 404,421,431,432. I then turned right up the High Street and left into the bus station where I found the stop for the No 402.
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| The bus stop numbers here did not include the No 402 |
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However, Sevenoaks railway station indicated
on the timetable |
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Liked the TW3 diverted pending KCC doing
tree pruning |
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Sign not at bus stop saying bus stop closed but on
road for the drivers not the public |
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| This is where I waited in vain |
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Bus stop in Pembroke Road purporting to show routes 404,
421, 431 and 432 stopping there |
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| At bus station |
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| I should be able to expect a No 402 here! |
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Most buses in Sevenoaks are operated by this company Go coach
This is their route 3 which is effectively a replacement for the old 431 |
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| Arriva 6205 arriving |
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| Awaiting departure |
Here I boarded Arriva South 6205 which had previously been operated by Arriva Midland in Leicester. I asked the driver about the railway station and he told me it was only served by the school buses the 402B, P and W so I was right to walk up to the bus station and the 1323 duly set off on time heading down the High Street along the original A21.
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| Sevenoaks High Street |
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Signpost at top of Tubs Hill where it meets the
High Street. Distance to Farnborough given. |
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| Other side of road sign |
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| Stopping at Sevenoaks school |
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| Entrance to Riverhill House |
This took us down Riverhill past the entrance to Riverhill House and it Himalayan gardens to the roundabout where the Sevenoaks bypass joins the Tonbridge bypass. The bus remained on the original road and reached Hildenborough at 1335.
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| Stop in Hildenboorough |
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| Entering Tonbridge |
Beyond Hildenborough we reached the junction with the A26 and this took us right past Tonbridge school and through Tonbridge town centre pausing for a while opposite the castle at 1345.
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By Tonbridge castle with bridge over Medway next
to white picket fence |
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| Remains of Tonbridge castle |
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Huge quantity of bus routes in Tonbridge High
street but how frequent are they |
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Two Southeastern class 375s east of Tonbridge
station |
Continuing up the High Street we reached Tonbridge railway station where we changed drivers at the stop south of the bridge at 1349-1353. Beyond here the road climbs steeply uphill as we leave the Vale of Holmesdale behind and climb up to the Forest Ridges. This gave us some spectacular views but every time I tried to take a photograph a tree got in the way. We then entered Southborough entering the Borough of Tunbridge Wells at 1355.
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| Tree preventing photo of panorama |
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| Descending towards Southborough Cricket Green |
Strangely as we approached Skinners school there was stops with the bus No 704 on them but the Greenline route that used to run from Windsor to Tunbridge Wells would not have stopped at these stops or frequency thereof.
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| Skinners school stop with bus route No 704 shown |
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| Entering Tunbridge Wells |
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Fenwicks one of wife's favourite shops
to visit |
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The spot where the Greenline coach station used
to be |
We entered Tunbridge Wells at 1407 down Grovesnor Road and around the one way system past Fenwicks store. We turned left into the High Street passing the remains of the bus station where the Greenline used to terminate. After disgorging most of the passengers here the bus went right along Trinity Road where when I was a kid we would board the Nos 119 or 122 to Crowborough. At the crossroads at the end the bus headed left downhill and we came back from the west to reach Tunbridge Wells Central station to terminate at 1416.
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Tunbridge Wells High Street, with Go Coach
and Metrobus bus ahead |
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| Followed an Arriva bus along Trinity Road |
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Returning NE towards Tunbridge Wells
Central station |
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| Journey's End |
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| Looking through the southern tunnel at the station |
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| My train arriving from Hastings |
The next train back to Orpington was the 1439 and this got me back to my car by about 1520. I then went to Biggin Hill airfield for delayed lunch and attempted to drive home through New Addington. there had however been an accident where a car and bus had collided with the bus being pushing across the parallel tramway halting all tram services to New Addington. It made for huge queues backing up along Gravel Hill and I got home eventually at 1720.
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| £9.15 return rail ticket to Tunbridge Wells. Bus ticket £3 |
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| Turkish Learjet arriving |
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| Dutch Challenger departing for Antwerp |
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| Austrian Challenger departing |
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| Austrian DA62 departing |
