Day 209 The almost local No 322 and back to Canning Town for the No 323.

 After a trip to Sutton station to deliver some books and then down the hill to Superdrug with a big bag of used blister packs for recycling I caught a No 154 to Morden Underground station. I arrived at 1026 and there was only a two minute wait for a train to Clapham Common where I arrived at 1040. I ascertained from the first map I found that I needed bus stop T but as I approached a No 322 bus left before I could get there.

Abellio 1009 picking up passengers as I approached stop T

Bus route should take 40 minutes

Abellio 1020 resting before departure

I then waited for almost twelve minutes for the next service on the route which is provided by the Abellio No 1020 an Optare Metrocity EV which has a 73 registration which left at 1059. The bus turned left to head down Clapham High Street and once we had reached Clapham North Underground station crossed right to enter Landor Road, this was the first of many occasions when it is the only bus service on each of the respective roads. This took us past Lambeth Hospital part of the Maudsley Trust. At the end of this road we turned right into Stockwell Road heading for Brixton along with the No 2 and No 196. On reaching Brixton the bus immediately turned left into Atlantic Road which was quite a squeeze with all the parked cars.

Artwork in Atlantic Road

Market entrance in Atlantic Road

This road becomes Railton Road and as we passed along here I noticed briefly a blue plaque commemorating Winifred Atwell, who on checking Wikipedia had a hair salon in the adjoining Chaucer Road. We also passed a closed business J Kleiner and Sons.

Formed in 1930 as a purveyor of housewares

From the start of Atlantic Road we had been running parallel with the ex LCDR railway line out of Victoria and at the end of this road reached Herne Hill railway station. Since leaving Brixton the No 322 had been the sole bus on the route but now joined many buses as it rounded Brockwell Park and headed for Tulse Hill. We crossed the South Circular and passed the road where I had recently emerged when aboard the No 315 from Streatham. As we reached West Norwood cemetery the bus again forged off on its own turning left away from all the other bus routes in the location. Initially we were on Park Hill Road in SE21 then utilised Rosendale Road, Tritton Road and Vale St where we reached St Gothard Road entering SE27 in the process. This was then a hail and ride section as we took the road to Gipsy Hill.

At the side of the South Circular as one approaches Tulse Hill

Passing up Gipsy Hill we crossed over the track here

We climbed up Gipsy Hill passing the railway station until we reached Westow Hill, here the bus turned left to entre the shopping area of Upper Norwood and deposited me on Crystal Palace Parade at 1138.

Arrival on Crystal Palace Parade

I walked from here down Anerley Hill to the Crystal Palace low level station where there was a train waiting for Highbury and Islington. However, it departed just as I reached the platform and seeing there was a London Bridge train at 1150, I hurriedly crossed from platform 3 to platform 5 which is quite a climb and the train was in before I had reached the top of the stairs. Luckily I managed to board it at 1149 and off we went to London Bridge. We arrived at 1214 and then was on the Jubilee line platform at 1223 and arrived at Canning Town at 1236. Annoyingly the No 323 left at 1235 so had to wait almost fifteen minutes for Stagecoach 64202 to arrive at 1252.

Layover point on opposite side of bus station

Stagecoach 64202 approaching

The bus left the bus station and headed straight under the flyover running parallel with DLR and Jubilee line to Star Lane DLR stop. The bus route went over the tracks at this point and almost throughout the journey was the sole route on the road. After turning right into Cody Road the bus entered Prologis Park which is a private industrial estate. At one point there was a bus stop which showed the No 323 going in opposite directions. After exiting the estate the bus crossed under the Blackwall Tunnel northern Approach Road and emerged close to Bromley by Bow station. Rather than take the A102M the bus turned right into Devas Street which led to us crossing over the River Lea at 1301 and entered Devons Road which it then followed for its entirety. At Bow Common Lane at 1308 the bus turned right and at the end of this road the bus turned right again and terminated by the park at a stop labelled Mile End station at 1313.

In the Prologis industrial park

Journey's end at Mile End

I then walked the wrong way left and instead of finding the Underground station I met a Palestinian protest  march asking for peace in Gaza. Eventually I reached Stepney Green station but stupidly got an eastbound District line train that took me straight to the next stop of Mile End. Here I had to go up the stairs and cross over to get a westbound train two stops to Whitechapel. Here I caught a Crystal Palace bound London Overground train and alighted at Sydenham. The next London Overground train was going to West Croydon but I needed to get to East Croydon so at Norwood Junction changed and waited for the following Caterham train arriving at East Croydon at 1429.