RF633 at Brasted

Sevenoaks Running Day

Sunday May 18th 2008

Prepared by Ian Smith, 3rd June 2008.



Part Two: 413 from Brasted (RF633)

Peter Aves was waiting at the White Hart stop in Brasted with RF633. By the time that we had all boarded there were not many seats left, despite the bus being a full 41-seater, pre-OMO version. RT604 came past continuing its journey along the A25 to Riverhead and Sevenoaks.

RF633 at Brasted on 413. RT604 at Brasted on 403.

RF633 turned left up onto Brasted Chart, climbing a hundred metres up onto the Greensand ridge through a long straggling ribbon of houses and trees. Expensive country. But before we reached Toy's Hill we turned off the wide lane onto a narrow one, only just wider than the bus, that wriggled through the woods just by Emmetts Garden.

Brasted Chart. Narrow lane near Emmetts.

We safely reached the wider lane up from Sundridge, and turned right, past the entrance to the garden, and climbed on up to Ide Hill. There we pulled up outside The Cock (a horse, not a fowl), for photos in this picturesque location.

RF633 at Ide Hill. RF633 at Ide Hill.

Behind schedule we set off again, down the sharp little hill to the main road. Turning left we roared up the hill of Hanging Bank, and forked right on the lane across Goathurst Common. From this high ground there were excellent views south across the Weald. The surrounding foliage grew denser as we approached Bayley's Hill, with a number of flowering rhododendrons. We right to reach Bayley's Hill, carefully negotiating the narrow road.

Goathurst Common. Bayleys Hill.

We crossed the bridge over the deep A21 cutting, and turned left to run along the edge of Sevenoaks Common to Cross Keys. There, at the edge of Sevenoaks suburbia, we turned sharp right, along the north edge of the common to reach the school, one of the major traffic objectives of the route. There we turned north again, and then down Solefields Road to the southern edge of the town. We twisted into town past Sevenoaks School and the entrance to Knole Park, and made our way along to the bus station, which was already busy.

421 to Heaverham (RML2731)

I hopped off the RF and went looking for an RT on the 421 to Heaverham, a tight connection. Instead I found RML2731 substituting for it, with John Huxford at the wheel. A 423 blind was the closest that could be found at short notice. I climbed aboard, and settled behind the bonnet.

We were immediately away, round the corner to the traffic lights, where we pulled up alongside red RF489, which was heading for Four Elms on the 413A.

RML2731. RF489 on 413A. RF489 on 413A.

We turned right, to head past the War Memorial and down the hill to St.John's and Bat & Ball, Whilst waiting there at the traffic lights to cross the A25, we saw Metrobus Scania Omnitown, No 607, turn the corner on a Rail Replacement service from Sevenoaks Station to Otford. We followed it north along the A225 to Otford.

607 at Bat & Ball. 607 on A225.

On the way we met RF429 coming the other way on the 404 from Shoreham, and exchanged waves. As we approached Otford Pond we met another Omnitown, 616 this time, coming the other way from Otford Railway Station.

RF429 on 404. 616 at Otford.

We twirled round the pond and motored up past the station, to turn right along the Pilgrim's Way. This has not changed in some respects since mediaeval times: it is still narrow and tree-lined. Although it was a double-decker route for many years from the war onwards, of late it has not seen the ministrations of a tree-lopper, nor double-deckers to keep it in trim. Progress was slow, with many cars coming the other way requiring trips into the overhanging hedge, and low foliage scraping along the roof. It was with some sense of relief that we reached Childsbridge Lane, where the route dips down one level on the hillside onto a lower road through Kemsing village. A lower and wider road. We followed West End into Kemsing, and continued along Heaverham road to reach the terminus by the oast houses in Heaverham.

Pilgrims Way. RML2731 at Heaverham.

The terminus requires a conductor turn. John pulled past the T-junction and then reversed round. After completing the turn he then backed up to clear the junction. There was then a consultation about the return route. John was understandably not keen to return along the Pilgrims Way. I suggested that we could return via Seal from Kemsing. John phoned control to let them know.

RML2731 at Heaverham. RML2731 at Heaverham.

We set off back to Kemsing, through the village and then left down Childsbridge Lane. I breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out that we went OVER both motorway and railway. We climbed up into Seal, and turned right onto the A25 to return to Bat & Ball. There we turned up through St.John's, and met XF3 coming down the hill on its way to Westerham.

XF3 at St.John's.

We continued up the hill into Sevenoaks, and made our way along to the bus station.

Part Three: Small buses


Photos by Ian Smith. Click on any of them for a larger picture.


Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part One: 403 past Chelsham Part Three: Small buses