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 expecing 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 as we took the left 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 Matthews 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 stopped 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.