Tenterden Hop-Pickers

Sunday 10th September 2006

Prepared by Ian Smith, 4th October 2006

Part Three: Here and there on the Kent-Sussex border

RT3062: Tenterden to Biddenden and back

I was conducting RT3062, on the 1140 Tenterden to Biddenden. We pulled out onto the stop, where I announced where we were going. GS2 was just in front of us, and scooped most of the queue. SO43 came back from its early trip just as we set out up the lane into Tenterden.

The ex-Maidstone & District open-top Regal pulled in as we reached the top of the lane. We turned left along the main street, and proceeded along through the town and on along the semi-urban road to St.Michaels. We turned left along the road towards Biddenden, passing the old wooden K&ESR station building on the way. Greenline RF28 came along the road from Biddenden, heading for Tenterden.

We turned a little short of Biddenden, at the triangle formed by the junction of main roads. I was too busy for a while to take any pictures there. We headed back towards St.Michaels, where I dinged the bell for a photo-stop at a bus-stop with lay-by. We set off again, and met the open-top Regal on its way to Biddenden on the turn following ours.

We returned to Tenterden station, where we turned quickly and set off again for Hawkhurst.

RT3062: Tenterden to Hawkhurst and back

We turned right along the Tenterden main street this time, and followed the A28 out of the town and down the bank to Rolvenden Station. The gates were closed, and we drew up behind the queue of traffic just as a train crossed and the gates swung open again. RT3148 had been waiting on the far side, and we passed each other. We climbed the hill into Rolvenden, and continued along the A28 on the long swoop down to cross the Hexden Channel, just above sea level. We climbed up Frogs Hill , to reach the ridge road at a T-junction before Newenden. We turned right onto the road to Sandhurst and Hawkhurst. Paul put his foot down along the ridge road, slowing perceptibly for the speed limits through Sandhurst and on the approach to Hawkhurst. The RT ran well!

At Hawkhurst we pulled into the bus station, between two lines of parked buses, including elderly Olympians, a Lynx and ex-London Country Darts. We had expected to connect with a RF from Bodiam, but that did not appear. So we pulled round onto the depature platform, loaded up and went.

We sped back along the ridge to the junction before Newenden, where one passenger alighted to head for Northiam station. We headed on across the dip and up the hill to Rolvenden, then down and up again to Tenterden, arriving early.

We parked the bus out of the way in the bus park. RT3148 came in and parked behind us. The two London buses shared the bus-park with a brace of East Kent doubledeckers: a Fleetline and an Olympian, and a pair of M&D Reliances: S6 and SC390.

I went to check thatI was not needed for a while. When I got back I found that the East Kent Fleetline, RFN953G, was parked next to RF633.

SC390: Tenterden to Rye and back

I walked back to find SC390, the Maidstone and District coach Reliance, which I had picked for my next foray. I introduced myself to the crew, and had just settled aboard when I heard my name shouted. It was my brother and his grand-daughter, who had missed me at Hawkhurst. I alighted and joined them, then we all rejoined the coach for the ride together.

The Reliance purred up into Tenterden, then wiggled round the east end of the town onto the Appledore road. We rolled smoothly south-east along the ridge, then down almost to sea level at Reading Street. Odd to think that this was once sea, when Smallhythe was the port for Tenterden! Even now it is only three metres above mean sea level - ie below high tide level. We rumbled across the levels, then climbed up into Appledore and turned down the main street to stop outside the pub.

We went on, turning down onto the long road beside the Military Canal. My great-niece took more interest now, as she knows this road. She took even more notice when we spotted a Sea Cadet boat on the canal below Iden Lock, as two of her uncles were in the boat!

We continued to Rye, where we had to wind right round the town before stopping in the bus park next to the Railway Station. The schedule was relaxed enough for everyone to get off and have a wander round before the return trip.

But after a while we gathered at the bus again, and reboarded for the return trip, back along the canal-side road towards Appledore, below what were once the sea-cliffs of England. We turned at Appledore to head for Tenterden, back up onto the high ground and back to the weather-boarded town. We alighted before the railway crossing, and the coach went off to the bus park.

RF679: Tenterden to Woodchurch and back

By this timne of afternoon there was not a great choice of trips available. But my brother used to drive RFs, so we joined RF679 which was just about to depart to Woodchurch. Just as we set off the open-top Regal came back again, and this time I got a proper look!

We spent the short journey eastwards swapping RF stories. But soon we were rounding the green at Woodchurch, where a cricket match was in full swing.

We paused on the west side of the green, where the light was good and we could find a place to stop. Then we headed back to Tenterden, where buses were starting to head homewards..

Part 4: Homewards

All photos by Ian Smith. Click on most of them for a larger picture.

Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part 1 Part 2 Part 4: Homewards