Day 227 A day when I had hoped to do two buses but trespassers on the line and then broken down trains put paid to both so just did the No 345.

 The trip started with catching the 1200 Victoria train with the intention of getting off at Streatham Common and changing to the London Bridge train to Peckham Rye. After alighting at Streatham Common the London Bridge train was shown as delayed and then disappeared entirely before returning on the display again. I therefore decided to go to the opposite end of the No 345 route and boarded the 1225 Watford Junction train which was around twelve minutes late and changed to the Underground at West Brompton. The first train was not going to South Kensington so had to change at Earl's Court and thus didn't arrive outside the Natural History Museum until 1315.

Harrington Road opposite South Ken Underground station which I have used many times

The layover stand opposite the
 Natural History Museum

Two buses awaiting departure

There were two Abellio buses waiting to travel to Peckham, one was a 2011 edition but the first one was a 2014 version, No 2446 and after boarding at 1318 it left the stand at 1319. The bus almost immediately turned left down Queensbury Place and left at the bottom into Harrington Road where I have frequently boarded either this bus or the No 49 to take me to Clapham Junction station. The No 345 heads down Onslow Square to the Fulham Road and then left down Beaufort St where it is the only bus to service the road for a while but joins with the No 49 at the King's Road before crossing Battersea Bridge also with the No 19 and No 170.

The only point on the journey solely served by the
No 345

Approaching Battersea Bridge

From here we continued to the Latchmere pub and then down Falcon Road to Clapham Junction where the bus arrived at 1343. At the Arding and Hobbs junction there was a bus stop where only the No 345 stops which is because this is the only bus that turns left from Falcon Road up Lavender Hill.

The gates to Battersea Park

A No 344 so recently used going the other way

Bus stop only serving the No 345 in Falcon Road

Entering Cedars Road from Lavender Hill

Abellio 2467 approaching from
Clapham High Street station

From Lavender Hill the bus turned right into Cedars Road joining the No 137 and stopped at Sacred Heart House to exchange drivers from 1359 to 1403. From here the bus crossed Clapham Common and then turned right down Clapham High Street. We continued in the same direction until we reached Stockwell Underground station and then turned right along Stockwell Road to reach Brixton Police station where the bus continued straight over in Gresham Road.

Home for Midwives attached to King's College Hospital

At the end of Gresham Road the bus turned left along Cold Harbour Lane and this took us to Loughborough Junction and then Denmark Hill: here we arrived at 1437. We turned left to Camberwell Green and then right along Camberwell Church Street which morphs into Peckham Road before we reached the 'Trotters' Reliant Robin where traffic became slow for the drive into Peckham town centre. The bus turned into Peckham bus station and terminated at 1451-a ninety two minute journey. When I looked at the bus stop in the bus station for the return journey it stated the journey took forty four minutes. I can't imagine how that could be possible given how much we overshot that time and there was really only the hold up right at the end.

Peckham High Street with clock actually showing correct time

Peckham bus station

Abellio 2466 after arrival

I then walked to Peckham Rye station and saw a London Overground train leave for Whitechapel just as I approached. These trains are every fifteen minutes so I wasn't too concerned until I reached the platform and found the next one was cancelled owing to a broken train. No matter, I thought I'd get the next London Bridge train, which arrived on time at 1511 and conveyed me to that station such that by 1530 I was walking towards the Jubilee line. However, on reflection, I decided given we were going out in the evening and the wife would no doubt need her car emptying after the jumble sale I had better give up trying to get to Harold Hill for the No 346 and caught the 1555 train home arriving at 1635.

Day 226 Two buses in Central London that work well as a pair. The No 343 and the No 344.

 I took the 1105 London Bridge train as far as West Croydon and then changed to the London Overground to reach New Cross Gate where I arrived at 1138. I had seen the bus layover point not that long ago when I caught the No 321 to Sidcup from the superstore next to the railway station. The bus starts from Jerningham Road, just beside Haberdashers Aske's school. As usual as I reached the road as a No 343 left but there was another already waiting and the driver encouraged me to get inside out of the drizzle. 

London General's EH241 awaiting departure

This bus was EH241 of London General which departed for Aldgate at 1151 and it was very close to a London General garage as New Cross garage was the first stop after departure. The bus then turned away from its destination and headed south up and it was quite a climb up Pepys Road. This is the only service to use this road but at the top of the hill we joined with the No 484 route at Vesta Road.

Climbing up the hill with view across London the higher we went

We then descended over the Nunhead to Lewisham line and then went under the Crofton Park to Nunhead line along Frendsbury Road where we passed Honor Oak dental clinic. As we reached Brockley Way we then headed west for a short while with one of the P routes but soon that left to go another way to Peckham. Whilst doing this manoeuvre we appeared to cross the remains of the Crystal Palace High level route, there being a wall and what looked like part of an embankment opposite. This occurred as we went left at Ivydale Road and then right along Cheltenham Road.

Along Cheltenham Road in Peckham wide
variation of house building types up Stuart Road. War damage perhaps?

This took the bus along Rye Hill Park and then to East Dulwich Road before we ran into Peckham itself along Rye Lane. We reached Peckham Rye station at 1210 and after a short spell past the Aylesham shopping centre as a one way road we turned left into Peckham High Street. 

Entrance to Aylesham shopping centre

This road becomes Peckham Road so once again I passed Delboy's Reliant Robin. Rather than carry on towards Camberwell the bus turned right into Southampton Way and this took us to Cottage Green in concert with route No 136. On reaching the Camberwell Public Baths the bus driver was requested to wait as he was catching up with the previous service. 

Gradually disintegrating shield at Cottage Green

Camberwell Public Baths and Washrooms

Once underway again we turned right into Albany Road with the No 42 now joining us for a short duration before we headed left along Thurlow Street then Flint Road which took us to the Walworth Road and subsequently to Elephant and Castle. 

Extensive building work Elephant and Castle 

The site of the pink shopping centre now undergoing
works

The Shard as viewed from Newington Causeway

There are extensive works where on my earlier journeys there was the pink shopping centre  and we passed all of these and then selected Newington Causeway so as to reach Borough High Street and the approach to London Bridge. At Borough High Street we were again asked to wait for a while and I saw on a phone kiosk the offer of a job smuggling Marmite into the USA with a number to call. 

Tower Bridge Road

Last of three buses which cross Tower Bridge

The bus turned right along Tooley Street rather than cross London Bridge and once past the earlier St Olave's school building that closed in 1968 and is now a hotel we turned left to cross Tower Bridge. This bus is the last of the three buses that take Tower Bridge and the last time I did this would have been six years ago on the No 78. At The Tower we took the Minories past Tower Gateway DLR station and terminated in the Aldgate bus station at 1256, 65 minutes after departure whereas the bus stop had suggested a 69 minute trip at New Cross,

Arrival at Aldgate

I crossed the road straight into Aldgate Underground station and took a Metropolitan line train the one stop to Liverpool Street. I then had a quick look around and had a comfort stop finally espying the last class 745 I hadn't previously seen on the way. I went out of the station at Bishopsgate and couldn't see a No 344 indicated on any of the bus stops. I thus resorted to my phone and could see a stop for it in Wormwood Street. When I got there though I saw a No 344 going down New Broad Street and so followed as quick as I could and found buses nestling under where Broad Street station used to be. There did not seem to be a normal bus stop so asked the driver of the bus I had followed and he pointed to a poster in the window. 'That's where it stops' he said. I rapidly crossed the road and boarded Abellio 2609 as the only passenger at 1325.

First bus stop of the No 344 but no totem to indicate it

The bus then retraced where I had come from to Wormwood Street and then turned right into Bishopsgate following all the Morris Men which had been dancing outside Liverpool Street station as I walked around looking for the bus stop.

There was a Morris Men troupe at Liverpool Street celebrating
St George's Day

After Bishopsgate the bus followed along Gracechurch Street and it looked as if we would be crossing London Bridge, but lo! the bus turned left down Monument Street to Lower Thames Street. This is only used by the No 344 as also appeared to be Southwark Bridge when we turned left across it after passing under Cannon Street station.

The Monument

About to cross Southwark Bridge

A view you can't get on any other service bus,
the Millenium followed by Blackfriars bridge

Again no other bus can give you this the Shard
behind Cannon Street railway bridge

Beyond the bridge the bus went straight on, still alone along Southwark Bridge Road. We passed a road called Marshalsea Road and a fire brigade building which is now housing. At the end of this road we met other buses which terminate in Newington Causeway and we entered that by turning right at the Inner London Crown Court. Time was now 1344 as we again passed the Elephant and Castle. This time the bus threaded its way into St Georges Road which took us to the Imperial War Museum where we turned left and struck out for Lambeth Palace along with the No 360 and then the No 3. Rather than cross the river at Lambeth Bridge we followed along the river to Vauxhall Cross and went around the one way system around the railway arches to enter the bus station from the southwest.

Approaching Newington Causeway still as
the only bus to serve Southwark Bridge Road.
Same building in background I photographed
from the No 343

Loads of cranes at the Elephant and Castle

At 1400 we were heading along Nine Elms Lane seeing plenty of new buildings being erected or recently erected such as the American Embassy and the flats now covering Battersea Power station.

Loads of flats now ring Battersea Power Station

Strange shaped block of flats next to the PS

Bridge still sports a Network Southeast sign for Battersea Dogs Home almost thirty years after
privatisation!

 Once past Battersea Park station we took Battersea Park Road to the Latchmere on to the junction with Falcon Road. We took Falcon Road all the way to Arding and Hobbs at Clapham Junction where the bus turned right and terminated at St John's Hill at 1425, exactly an hour after departure from Liverpool Street station.

Emily's House on Battersea Park Road

Arrival at the terminus

Clapham Junction bus stop 

Nice relic from before the grouping of the railways in 1923.

I then caught the 1439 Epsom Downs train home as the No 345, although it goes through Clapham Junction, is in the middle of its route at that point, so one for another day.

 

Day 225 A trip well away from London to do a No 342.

The day started by use of a bus to East Croydon and there we just managed to get the 1010 train to Eastbourne and Ore-thankfully it was almost two minutes late. We remained on the train until Hastings which was reached at 1200. Here we left the train and had a walk around particularly visiting the Old Town unfortunately in the rain.

A nice set of semaphore signals at eastern end of
Hastings station with Charing Cross train waiting to leave

Old Town in the rain

Nice nook in the Old Town

    

Bayeux Tapestry in tiles tunnel to Old Town

Our train arriving for Ashford International

We returned to the railway station for the 1425 train to Ashford International which took just over twenty minutes to reach Rye where we the passed the train going the other way. I noted the last time I got out here you walked across the track, now you are forced to cross over the track on a bridge. We then walked into town and spent just under a hour looking around.

The 1558, the only No 342 to go to Hastings

Typical Olde Worlde street in Rye

Bus terminus with Rye station behind

Hang over from Covid it says
 'Lock Down library use at your peril'

I then took Charmaine to catch the 1548 back towards Hastings whilst I waiting a further ten minutes for the No 342 bus at 1558 which runs very infrequently indeed. In fact I was concerned as to whether there would be a bus at all. The internet said the bus runs only on school days and the timetable on the display for bus stop D suggested it didn't run on school days.

Stagecoach 36490 arrives as a No 313

However, before departure it morphed into a
No 342

Two pounds to go all the way

A bus pulled up at 1555 with 313 displayed upon it but there wasn't a No 313 due so I hoped the number would be changed and that did happen and at 1558 I was aboard Stagecoach 36490 with No 342 displayed outside it.

Typical scenery looking over River Tillingham
valley

Bus shelter at Broad Oak

The bus turned right out of the station approach and then right again to follow the B2089 over the River Tillingham and then up the hill called Udimore Road. We were soon out of town passing many fields with new born lambs of Romney Sheep.  There is a dip as we ran into Udimore at 1608 and the bus then following the same road to intercept the A28 at Broad Oak Brede. There were lots of picturesque cottages and homes, some thatched, some tiled and here and there oast houses, too. 

Very murky windows made for difficult photographs.
This is Cackle Street

Entering Westfield

Had to take this The Village Store Westfield!!!

The bus took the A28, turning left for Hastings and after Cackle Street headed downwards so as to cross over the River Brede and then climbed up to reach a village called Westfield at 1617. The final school child alighted as we approached Baldslow along the A28, although it was labelled Westfield Lane. I was the only passenger until the next stop when a gentlemen got on. This was just before where we met the A21 and as we took that left we soon entered the outskirts of Hastings. It was also where the Hastings local fare zone appeared to apply from. There was, for the first time, slow traffic as we passed the superstore heading in the direction of town. However, the bus had to use this road going south to be able to go east as there was no connection until Harrow Lane to reach Baldslow. The other passenger got off in Harrow Lane and at Baldslow we turned right, so as to be able to head east to the Conquest Hospital along the road called The Ridge. 

Junction of A21 and A28. Why Sevenoaks gets
 a mention and not Tunbridge Wells or Tonbridge

Looking north up the A21 only London and Sevenoaks given mileages

Other buses at the Conquest Hospital

We picked a number of passengers at the hospital and another by St Helens cemetery at which the bus turned right and headed down Elphinstone Road which was a 1 in 7 gradient. The next turning left was Orchiltree Road which took us to Pilot Road and after heading along this we went right along Hoads Wood Road which returned us to Elphinstone Road. Turning right and following downhill we passed Hughenden Road and terminated at 1645.

Journey's End Elphinstone Road/Hughenden Road

Bus heading off out of service

From here I walked up Mount Pleasant Road expecting to find some indication of Ore Station. I then took the left Broomgrove Road expecting to find access to the station. There was none and as I reached a bridge I could see the station to my left. I thus continued around to the other side of the track and followed Fellows Road, and then Parker Road which led to Hughenden Road. Climbing up this I saw a BR sign indicating the station which was strangely out of view from Mount Pleasant Road.

Nice rock plant on my 360
 degree walk around the station

 I reached Ore station over half an hour after getting on the bus and caught the 1722 train back to East Croydon arriving at almost the same time as our son returning from work and we caught the bus home together.