Day 178 An unexpected opportunity to do a bus so to Walthamstow for the No 275

 I was able to catch the 1035 to London Bridge and then took Northern and Central lines changing at Bank for Liverpool Street. On emerging from the Underground at Liverpool Street I saw there was a Chingford train in three minutes so this meant I was on my way at 1118 from platform 7. At 1133 I disembarked at St James Street just less than hour from leaving my home station. On arrival at the bus terminus I saw there were two No 275s and two No 212s resting, so was hoping for a quick departure.

Two No 275s side by side at St James Street bus terminal

Timetable suggests a journey time of 61 minutes

The first No 275 to arrive, note destination

The bus that came second with the correct destination displayed

However at 1141 Stagecoach's 12137 pulled up but the driver informed me he was only going to Walthamstow Central, which was just 6 minutes away. So I then waited for the next bus, Stagecoach's 10123 to arrive at 1151 which then headed off straight for Walthamstow Central bus and rail interchange where the other No 275 was parked. After a loop through the bus station we headed left down Hoe Street to Forest Road and then joined the route of the No 123 eastwards past the Town Hall.

Since I started the odyssey in 2017 so many bus routes are now operated by electric buses such as these ADL Enviro bodies on BYD D8UR-DD chassis

 There was a two minute wait for drivers to exchange in Hoe Street during this period but this was amongst the quickest changes of drivers I have experienced. After crossing the Chingford railway line the bus turned left into Hale End Road and from here the majority of the route taken this was the sole bus on each road. Before we reached the North Circular Road we passed a large allotment site on the right. The bus then headed to Highams Park station, arriving at 1220, crossing over the Ching Brook after the Royal Oak near the Hollywood way bus stop.

Allotments beside Hale End Road

Highams Park station

Close to the railway station it was noticeable there were many Victorian villas but further south in Hale End Road and after leaving the station in the Avenue  it was mainly inter war housing with perhaps a few bomb damage, more modern replacements. The bus took The Avenue to reach Chingford Lane where we turned right and headed for Woodford Green. At Woodford Green the bus did a left and then right to take Broadmead Road so as to be able to reach Woodford Underground station along St Barnabas Road. Here for the first time in a long while the road is shared with another bus the No 549 and we paused at the nearest point the bus could get to the station at 1236. The bus then took Snakes Lane East to reach Chigwell Road where we crossed the River Roding and went under the M11 motorway. 

Rather incongruously just past the M11 overbridge is this relic of the nineteenth century a hand water pump

At this point the bus picked up many school children; perhaps Monday is their early finish day. Interestingly, soon we were climbing the hill past the library and entering Manor Road where the bus leaves Greater London and enters the Epping district of Essex.

All roads lead to Essex at Woodford Bridge

 This doesn't last very long though, as we turned right into Tomswood Road and as we passed the crest of the hill we descended Tomswood Hill through the London Borough of Redbridge to Fulwell Cross at Fairlop. At this roundabout we took Barkingside High Street and  ran down to the Tesco where the bus terminated at 1255. At St James Street the bus stop said the journey would take 61 minutes so 64 is not bad at all.

Arrival at Barkingside Tesco

I then went back to the High Street to catch a No 150 to Gants Hill and from there the Central line to Stratford. After a short while watching on platform 9/10 where I saw the last class 745/0 I hadn't seen before I boarded the Jubilee line to Canada Water and then the London Overground to West Croydon.