Day 288, the No 424 from Putney to Fulham.

I walked toWandle Park tram stop to catch a Wimbledon tram, however, on arrival the information system said ther had been a tram failure and thus there were delays. Despite this there was a Wimbledon tram indicted in eight minutes so I decided it would be quicker to wait for that arrival. I was at Wimbledon station at 1200 and by 1209 I was aboard a No 93 to Puhne Heath. The timetable sggted it should take just ten minutes but reailty wasthat the roadworks on Wimbledon Hill meant it took lost double that.   

Strange time interval service of every 35 minutes. 
Journey supposed to take 37 minues.

WS86 of London General awaiting departure

Once at Putney Heath Green Man bus terminal there was a No 424 in at bus stop B and I only just managed to be aboard for its 1229 departure. The bus headed off alone along Wildcroft Road with two other passeners who both alighted as the bus turned right into Telegraph Road opposite the cricket ground. 

Wildcroft roadwit heath on left

Cricket ground after turning into Telegraph Road

Telegraph Road took us down to the main road of Putney Heath where be briefly joined a few other busroutes. However the bus soon left then by turning right then left down Carslake Road. There was next a good deal of wriggling around narrow roads made more difficult for the driver by all the parked cars.

Waiting at the lightsto turn left down Putney Hill

Crossroads between A205
 and Putney Hill 

Eventully at the end of Chatfield Avenue we returned to Putney Hill and turned left to head for Putney Bridge. Progress towards the bridge was quite slow, we stopped a Putney railway station at 1242 but didn't reach the bridge until 1250. Once off the bridgewe took the New Kings Road accompanied by the No 22. It wasn't very long though before we turned right into Peterborough Road alone. 

St Mary's church by Putney Bridge south side

The duke by the Green

The green Parsons Green

This road took us towards the river and at Carnwath Road we went left to cross straight over Wandsworth Bridge Road into Townend Road. Here we joined other bus routes again but were soon diverted left along Byam Street and Broughton Road then Pearscroft Road so as to reach Bagley Lane, which we should have reached nearer the river.

Bulding works on river waterfront Carnwath Road

Fulham old Town Hall

This took us back to the New Kings Road at 1311 but only briefly as soon we took Harwood Road to Fulham Broadway. The bus then took Fulham road for quite a time before it headed off right on its own along MunsterRoad past the strangely named Reporton Road.

Reporton Road 

Church in Fulham PalaceRoad

WS86 on arrival

Journey'sEnd

This meant we reached Lille Road road rejoining with a number of routes and we followed this road until we turned left at Fulham Palace Road. As we reached Fulham cemetary the bus turned right into Lysia Street and was then on its own to the end of the route near Craven Cottage stadium in StevenageRoad which was reached at 1341. The journey had taken almost double the time on the bus stop at 72 minutes. 

Statue of Johnny Haynes outside
Craven Cottage stadium 

River Thames high upstream of Putney Bridge,
4.63m at Richmond with 4.60 flooding level

To get home I walked past the stadium to Fulham Palace and stopped there for lunch. I walked onward afterwards to Putney Bridge station to get an Underground train to Wimbledon and then a tram back to Wandle Park. I arrived home at 1515 catching for a short way a No 410.

Pill box gun implacement now at least 80 years old at northern end of Putney Bridge 

Day 287 The No 423 from Hounslow to Heathrow terminal 5.

 I took the 1100 train to Clapham Junction and then changed to platform 5 for a train to Hounslow. It was just insufficient time to get from platform 14 to platform 5 so I had twenty eight minutes to wait for the next train which was the 1202 to Weybridge via Staines. This train arrived at 1230 and I then needed to walk to the High Street to catch the No 423, one of which departed just as I was arriving at the first bu sstop. It is a twenty minute interval service so it was 1309 before I was aboard RATP now First 45251.

Twenty minute interval service

One of many buses available here
at school Lane

The bus initially took the pedestrianised part of the High Street as far as Douglas Road but then curved around to join the Hanworth Road arriving at The Bell Hounslow at 1317.

Initial pedestrianised section ahead

Alongside the A315 at Midsummer Park

Following the No 237 at The Bell

 From here the bus took the A315 past Midsummer park accompanied by a number of other routes and turned right opposite Hounslow Heath Nature reserve up Barrack Road. We then went right along Corporation Lane and then two lefts in succession which meant the bus route was finally on its own as it went past the Barracks. 

Hounslow Barracks

Having passed the south side of the barracks the bus continued until it reached the junction with Lichfield Road where drivers were exchanged between 1329 and1331. Taking Salisbury Road right we passed Green LaneSports Centre.

Green Lane Sports Centre

Turning left so as to cross the
A30 to Hatton Cross station

On reaching Faggs Lane the bus turned right and then almost immediately left along the A30 toward Hatton Cross. Approaching Hatton Cross we had to go left to follow a loop around to access Hatton Cross Underground station by crossing the A30 at right angles. From here at 1344 we followed around the east and north of Heathrow airport deviating left once we reached the A4.

Passing the Three Magpies on the A4 

 The A4 was taken up to where it became the Colnbrook Bypass where we took the left fork past the Premier Inn to Longford village.

Having passed The Thisle and Premier Inn on way 
to Longford we passed through this bus gate

We were with other TFL bus routes from joining the A30 but we swapped these for First Berkshire bus routes after leaving Longford onto the A3044 and then into Terminal 5 where we terminated at 1400.

 

Arrival in the bus station at LHR Terminal Five

To return home I took the Piccadilly line to Barons Court and then the District line from there to West Brompton changing at Earls Court. The London Overground then conveyed me next to Clapham Junction where I caught a train home at 1546.