Since Dartford is not within the TFL remit this required us to catch at train to London Bridge and then a train to Crayford so as to catch a TFL bus No 96 to Dartford. This process delivered Charmaine and I to Dartford Station at 1207 in good time for the 1215 No 414 to South Darenth.
 |
| An hourly bus service |
 |
Arriva 1613 arriving to drop off passengers and
exchange drivers |
 |
Looking at market from
Market Street |
Arriva SE No 1613 stopped at the bus stop about 1210 and the drivers then exchanged and at 1215 we were off to do a trip down Home Gardens then Market Street and finally into Lowfield Street. Already the bus was quite full but at this stop thirteen people joined the bus. It was stated there was room for 29 sitting and 17 standing and this meant all seats were occupied and there were a couple of standees as we set off at 1220.
 |
| Lowfield Street |
 |
| Dartford Borough Council wheelibins |
The bus then went in a straight line into Hawley Road across Princes Road and this took us under the A2 and subsequently the M25 by 1226. This largely bypassed Hawley itself but the village of Sutton at Hone was strung out along this road, the A225 and we reached The Ship at 1231.
 |
| Sutton at Hone dental shop |
 |
| The Ship Sutton at Hone |
 |
| Ship Sutton at Hone |
Just past the Ship the bus took a very narrow left turn called Devon Road and by this means we reached South Darenth as we crossed the River Darent and turned left into Holmesdale Road. climbing up hill from the river we turned right into Shrubbery Road, one of a large number of narrow roads for a bus service with parked cars making the road even narrower. there were many occasions when approaching cars had to go backwards to allow the bus through. After crossing the railway we entered Gorringe Avenue where according to the bus timetable the No 414 terminated.
 |
| River Darent medical centre South Darenth |
 |
| Southdown Church Gorringe Avenue |
However, the bus reversed into Prince Charles Avenue at 1239 and then continued back the way it had come. We didn't go into Shrubbery Road thought but turned left down East Hill to reach the Jolly Miller PH at 1243.
 |
| Holmesdale Road at South Darenth |
 |
| Bull in Horton Kirby |
 |
| Very narrow road in Horton Kirby from within bus |
Turning left just after the Jolly Miller we took Horton Road to Horton Kirby, turning left up Jacobs Lane then right into Forge Lane and into Horton Kirby at 1248. Here there were again some very narrows Roads and Lombard Street was negotiated quite lowly owing to all the parked cars.
 |
| Crossing the River Darent as we enter Devon Road |
 |
| Teepee beyond allotment near Hawley |
 |
| Arriva SE 1613 pulling away Instone Road Dartford |
At the crossroads where we met Ray Hill the bus turned right down hill towards the river and then followed The Street back to Horton Road and we exited Horton Kirby at 1253. We went back into South Darenth going under the viaduct at Station Road and eventually rejoining Holmesdale Road at the Jolly Miller to re-cross the River Darent.
This meant we were again in Devon Road but at the opposite end of this road it was one way so we had to take the left of Cedar Drive to access the main A225 and head back through Sutton at Hone to Hawley and back into Dartford. I left the bus in Dartford at 1306 at Instone Road.
 |
| New tram bus in Dartford |
 |
| Home Gardens new IE tram Bus |
We subsequently caught a No 96 back to Crayford and a train to London Brodge where we had just missed our direct train by less than minute. We therefore took a Thameslink train to East Croydon and then a tram and bus home.
