Day 219 After one TFL route once again out into the countryside for the No 334 to Sittingbourne for a run to Sheerness on Sea.

I approached this trip by driving to Orpington where I left the car in Leamington Avenue and walked to Orpington station for the 1124 Victoria train to Bromley South. From here I caught the 1157 to Sittingbourne where I arrived at 1242. This was ample time to cross the road beside the Travelodge to the Bus Hub where I waited at stop 1 for the 1300 No 334 to Sheerness.

The half hourly service from Sittingbourne bus hub to Sheerness Tesco

However, it wasn't quite that simple. Around 1310 a No 334 arrived but promptly the driver got out and the destination board was cleared as he turned the engine off. A member of staff came down to the queue at around 1315 telling us that traffic was solid in Rainham and the next bus that way would not be before 1400. At 1320 a No 334 service finally arrived. It consisted of the bus that had been laying over the whole time I had been there, but the staff member gave the impression it was not the vehicle that was supposed to provide the service. Eventually having loaded almost to the 'brim' the bus, Chalkwell's LX10AVC, left at 1322.

LX10AVC resting on my arrival at 1245

LX10AVC being overtaken by another ex
London General bus YX61ELC

LX10AVC getting its own back at 1320

We turned left out of the bus Hub heading east but at the next intersection turned left to go under the railway and then left at the next roundabout so as to be travelling west. This meant we passed the southern end of the truncated Sittingbourne and Kemsley light railway and then on through Milton Regis, where we passed the end of Chalkwell Road. Beyond this we crossed over the railway line to Sheerness and entered an area of considerable recent domestic building. We turned right into one such estate: The Meads. This was not unreasonable name given the marshy nature of the area and once out the northern end of this estate along Sonora Way we headed left along Quinton Road past an even more recently built estate Amber Fields. At the end of this road we turned right onto the original A249 and ran briskly along this road until we reached Iwade ar 1337.

The truncated end of the Sittingbourne and Kemsley
light railway which used to run much nearer the mainline station

Typical marshland scenery with
 New Kingsferry bridge rising to the left

Crossing the old Kingsferry bridge in common
with the railway

We were running parallel with the new dual carriageway A249 and after some chicanery through Iwade we approached the River Swale where the new road goes across on a high arching bridge. The bus route however passed Swale (halt) station and then over the Kingferry bridge and onto the Isle of Sheppey at 1340 via the old route.

The sweep of the new Kingsferry Bridge

Viewing the old bridge from under the new

Where the two routes merge south of Queenborough the bus appeared to do an un-necessary left turn in the direction of Queenborough between Aldi and Morrisons but then returned the way it had come to take the A249 briefly before swinging right at the lights and making for Halfway where there were signs for Sheppey United FC. We persisted along this road into Minster and then turned left to continue onto a road called Breakneck Hill. This led to the sea front, although there was very little one could see of the sea as there was either a shingle bank or a high sea wall as we swung west and ran towards Sheerness itself. We entered Sheerness at 1359 and made our way around the south of the town as the business district seemed to be rather car free and thus I wasn't able to get a good shot of the windmill as we circled around it.  The final stop was next to the Tesco's having passed the railway station a little earlier and I disembarked at 1406.

A brief view of the sea from over the shingle bank between Minster and Sheerness

Directions to Sea front at Sheerness

Laying over after arrival at Sheerness Tesco

Arrival of a double decker on the No 361

Welcome poster at Sheerness railway station

Out of London trips require paying for tickets!

I then made my way to the railway station. There was a 1447 and 1517 shown on the tv monitor but the 1417 wasn't shown and it wasn't 1415 yet. After a while I assumed it was cancelled and went into town to get some lunch. Gregg's were having internet troubles so could only accept cash. I went a bit further to Boyle's and purchased a cheese and onion slice and a Bakewell tart and then returned to the railway station. The 1447 did arrive on time, I was worried if the branch was run on the one engine in steam principle that the only rolling stock was defunct. On arrival I asked the guard about the 1417 and he said there isn't one. Through the lunch hours there is only the 47 past, the 17 past only runs in the morning and again from mid afternoon.  I then caught the 1515 back to Bromley and 1612 from there to Orpington. The arrival home was delayed until 1730, since there was traffic at every significant junction on my drive home.