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.