Day 123 out and back from the London Borough of Croydon on the No 196 and 197

 Once again I caught the 1100 train to Victoria but only as far as the next stop West Croydon. There I changed for the following London Bridge train one further stop to Norwood Junction where I arrived 1115. I have seen the No 196 bus on many times when travelling on trains to London Bridge but I have never had occasion to use this bus. I reached the bus stop at 1118 and two Abellio double decker buses were waiting to head to Elephant and Castle. 

Approaching the Abellio 2612 which
operated my No 196 at Norwood Junction

At 1123 I boarded Abellio 2612 and this left at 1125 briefly stopping in Norwood High Street before swinging left at the traffic lights and heading up South Norwood Hill. For a short duration along this road the 196 is the only bus as the No 410 turns away to the right. 

Climbing South Norwood Hill
with Croydon transmitter ahead

However, at the next traffic lights the No 468 joins and then both buses run along the same roads all the way through West Norwood and passed Tulse Hill at 1145 until we reached Herne Hill. I was surprised along this road, that one stop was called Biggin  Hill, and just after this despite being high on the hill there was a pond next to the Conquering Hero pub.

Norwood bus garage passed in
West Norwood

At Herne Hill the bus turned to the left along Brockwell Park but was requested to wait here to regulate the service from 1151 to 1153. From here the bus took Brixton Water Lane and then onto Effra Road before turning into Brixton Hill to stop outside Brixton Underground station at 1200. At Brixton Police Station the bus headed left to run past the Brixton Academy and on towards Stockwell.

London School Board Lambeth Division in Stockwell Road

The driver was again asked to wait to regulate the service here outside a building that used to be the London School Board Lambeth offices, for two minutes from 1204-1206. The bus then reached Stockwell and crossed straight over into Binfield Road at the A3, a route only buses and cycles can take. Beyond this we wriggled around Stockwell bus garage and then took Landowe Way until it turned right into Wandsworth Road. This took the bus past the yet to open Nine Elms Underground station and moved into Vauxhall bus station at 1218.

Now closed Post Office in Wandsworth Road

Vauxhall bus station

Under the railway we took Kennington Lane until it crossed Kennington Road and beyond this for the first time in a very long time the bus was the only route until we reached Newington Butts. It was very slow traffic as we approached Newington Butts and it was 1235 before I was able to disembark at Newington Causeway just beyond Elephant and Castle.

Final bus stop on route No 196 

Abellio 2612 clearing to layover before 

return to Norwood Junction

The remains of the Elephant and Castle shopping centre

The destruction of the shopping centre meant I had to go around to the other side of the railway station to access a train to Peckham Rye in order to reach the start of the No 197.

View from Platform 2 of remains of shopping centre

I reached the platform at 1241 and caught the 1250 to Sevenoaks which arrived at Peckham Rye station at 1300. The main high street was being resurfaced which precluded crossing the road outside the station and I noticed that the No 197 was supposed to stop here. I reached the bus station at 1307 and by 1309 the No 197 EH339 was approaching.

Buses laying over at Peckham bus station

EH339 at Peckham bus station

The diversion along Consort Road

London Bridge service crossing over

So because of the resurfacing of Peckham High Street the bus had to follow along Clayton Road until Consort Road was reached. This took us under the railway bridges east of Peckham Rye station and then took the right turn of Heaton Road to join the southern part of the High Street at Nigel Road bus stop.

All buses being diverted away from Peckham High Street

I had actually used this route very much earlier when I did the No 12 which finished just north of Peckham High Street. The bus heads south to East Dulwich Road and then  right at the Clock House pub and up Barry Road with the church shrouded in scaffolding at the top of the hill. This is just around the corner from the Dulwich Library stop which was reached at 1321. This route then joined the South Circular Road at 1324 and headed past the Horniman's Museum and subsequently right into Dartmouth Road at Forest Hill. From here the bus went to Sydenham and down Lawrie Park Avenue and into Penge. From Penge the bus took me back to Norwood Junction via Anerley at 1352, two hours and a half since departure on the No 196.

Norwood Junction station regained

From Norwood Junction the bus route heads through Woodside Green where it is the only bus route for the first time.

Running past Woodside Green

Only one route the No 197
at Woodside Green

It was a slow drift into Croydon from Addiscombe Road and eventually we reached the Fairfield Halls at 1411, one hour and two minutes after leaving Peckham.

Heading towards Fairfield Halls from East Croydon station

EH339 at rest outside
Fairfield Halls Croydon