Sevenoaks Running Day

Sunday May 18th 2008

Prepared by Ian Smith, 10th June 2008.

Part Eight: Scollops Road and Shoreham (RF429)

413A: Sevenoaks to Ide Hill (Scollops Road)

RF429 had a problem - maybe. Alan was not sure that it still had enough fuel for the round trip. So once we had boarded for the 1718 depature for Ide Hill he had to do a diversion to a fuel station - down beyond Tubs Hill Station. We went from the bus station round the loop to the lights, then straight over into Pembroke Road and down the hill, down London Road past the station. Getting out of the fuel station was not easy. I could almost see the gears clicking away in Alan's head. He made his decision. We turned left and headed on to Riverhead, where he took the Westerham Road through Bessels Green. RT604, heading for Croydon on the 403, followed us up the hill. Alan explained that one journey a day came this way to Ide Hill - a garage run from Dunton Green to Ide Hill to take up service. We forked left onto the B2042, that climbed up to cross over the A21, and climbed on up onto Goathurst Common, before the abrupt dip down Hanging Bank, with its surprise view out over the Weald. We turned up the narrow hill into Ide Hill, crossed the green, twirled round the roundabout and paused at the Cock.

Then, still a bit behind time, we were away, back down the steep little hill, and branching right onto the Four Elms Road. We rolled down the hill for a long mile, to reach the road to Scollops Farm (another mile to the east). There, at the road junction in the middle of nowhere, several miles short of Four Elms, we made our turn. Quite why this was a terminus is another of those enigmas. Several times a day buses came here to turn. It seems that buses were not allowed to wait at the stops in Ide Hill, so came here to give the crews their five minute break before starting back or heading up to Sundridge Hospital,

Photos taken, we reboarded and began the climb back up to Ide Hill. This time Alan pulled up at the bus shelter, normally used for services heading for Sundridge Hospital or Brasted. Blinds were reset for the 404 to Shoreham Village

404: Ide Hill to Shoreham Village

Now we were back on schedule. We climbed aboard and headed for Sevenoaks by the normal 413 route: down into the dip, left up Hanging Bank, then fork right on Goathurst Common. We rumbled along through the woods, then dipped down to Bayleys Hill. Once across the bridge over the A21 we went left to CrossKeys, there turning right to go round past the school and into Sevenoaks from the south.

Back at the bus station we met up with RF633, back from its foray on the 454 and about to head for Scollops Road in its turn.

We headed north, down through St.Johns and Bat & Ball, and along the fast road to Otford Pond. There we turned left on the distinctly slow road to Twitton. Through the village carelessly parked cars made progress almost impossible. But we squeezed through, and turned right by the railway bridge to run along the lane to Shoreham. We reached the terminus, and made our turn at the junction. Blinds were reset for the return to Sevenoaks.

404: Shoreham Village to Otford Pond

We headed back south through the village, and along the road towards Twitton. But at the railway bridge Alan went straight on, instead of left through Twitton. He turned left at the next road, to take us through Otford to the Pond, where I alighted at the bus stop.

I watched the bus rumble off into the dusk, towards Sevenoaks, and headed up the hill towards the station, passing Metrobus OmniTown 613 on the way.

I missed a train by seconds. On a normal Sunday this would not have mattered, as trains are frequent, even on Sunday evenings. But engineering work on the other line had disrupted this service too, so it was almost an hour until the next train came to whisk me north to London Bridge.

Many thanks to the Country Bus Rallies team for organising this event, and to all those who took part in any way.

GS15
RF429*, RF489*, RF495, RF633
RT604, RT1209*, RT3148
RM1000*, RML2699*, RML2731*, XF3, RP21, BN61
DH379, SC390, SAF900

system map

Ian's Bus-stop One Two Three Four Five Six Seven