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 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.
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| Only one of these still exist |
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| Almost an hourly service |
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| 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 right. 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 a quite a lick and turned right ino School Lane which met Childsbridge Lane and we followed tthis over the Maidstone line and he M26.
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| 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 Noahs Ark where we terminated at 1352.
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| Noah's Ark village sign |
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| Go Coach 3901 waiting its return in redundant bit of road cut off by M26 |
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| Crossing M26 |
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| Go Coach 3901 reurning to Sevenoaks |
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| Red Kite soaring over M26 |
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| Kent oasthouse in Kemsing |
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| Otford pond No 421 on sign |
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| Kemsing library |
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| Pond Otford |
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| No 421 now joined with 403 by Bull at Otford |
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| No 421 alone before taking Twitton Lane to Polhill |
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| Kemsing war memorial |
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| 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 foopath 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 tto reach Twitton Lane. A the end of this road I made a little dogleg over he railway line and walked along Old Polhill. I was surprsied to find three cars and a van along here but they seemed to be railway workers for the enrance to Polhill tunnel.
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Old Polhill was a fair climb and it was almost two hours aftter leaving Kemsing when I emerged on tthe old A21 by what was the Polhill Arms in dayys 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.
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