DH379 had stood at the top of the new bus station throughout my lunch-break, and when I had finished my repast I wandered up and spoke to the crew. They welcomed me aboard, and the bus started to fill up - mainly upstairs, of course.
We waited for the Arriva service bus - Dart 3282 - to go through the bus station ahead of us on the Sunday 401 return working to Tunbridge Wells, then pulled down ontp the stand. We were soon away on the 1410 service 9 to Borough Green, out onto the main street then down the hill to St.Johns. We met red RT1206 panting up the hill on a 421 from Heaverham.
At Bat & Ball we turned east along the A25, climbing the hill away from the Darenth valley onto the north flank of the Greensand Ridge. We ground through Seal, a village full of Kent vernacular architecture, and climbed on to Seal Chart, where the road runs through a green tunnel of wonderful trees.
Eventually we turned right, off the main road into Ightham, where we joined the A227 from Tonbridge. Ightham is real chocolate box territory, but we didn't stop now, but continued on to rejoin the A25 and motor along into Borough Green.
There we forked left to reach the station, and after turning pulled up on the bus stance.
We had a seven-minute turnround at Borough Green Station. Then we all climbed back aboard and set off back to Sevenoaks. At Ightham we nosed between the half-timbered buildings lining the street and pulled up at the George & Dragon, where the crew announced a short photo stop.
Continuing, we turned right, off the A227, to reach the A25 again, and headed west along the quiet A25. A lone motorbike roared along ahead of us. Apart from the double white lines it could have been the 1950s.
We rolled down hrough Seal and trundled along to Bat & Ball, and turned left to grind up the hill through St.Johns. Up in the town we me RT1206 again, off on another trip northwards.
Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.
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Part Four
Part Six: 413 to Chipstead