Dunton Green Running Day

Sunday May 19th 2019

Prepared by Ian Smith, 6th June 2019.

Part 3: Heaverham and back

421: Sevenoaks to Heaverham: RF315

I joined Nigel and Steve aboard RF315. The blinds were already up giving the destination as Heverham - the spelling that London Transport insisted upon, despite Kent County Council and the Ordnance Survey. We headed round the block to load up, on the way passing Maidstone & District Reliance SC390, which was set up for a journey on the 68 to Plaxtol.

We loaded up and set off, past a red Dart SLF, and round to the traffic lights. As we turned right RF633 was coming along the High Street to the lights. Why? Had it missed the turn into the Bus Station? XF3 was way behind, just coming up to the turn into the Bus Station. Anyway, we headed north, passing RT604 arriving on a 403 from Westerham. My camera refused to focus on it. Oh well, there will be another time.

We headed on past the War Memorial and down Dartford Road to St.John's and Bat & Ball. Somewhere along Otford Road we met a red RF coming the other way: RF401 I think. We went on, to Otford Pond. Not in it, but round it, and up the hill over the railway at Otford Station, and turned right onto the Pilgrims Way.

The Pilgrim's Way is narrow. Squeezing past cars is difficult. You hope that you don't meet a lorry or a bus coming the other way. Big 4x4s are a problem. Then you remember that this used to be a RT route! WE made our way carefully eastwards, until the road abruptly narrows with a 6ft6in width restriction. It is now time to turn downhill, down Childsbridge Lane. West End is the turn left to take us into Kemsing Village. We squeezed our way through, not helped by the Sunday lunchtime crowd of cars by the Bell Inn. We escaped from the High Street onto Heaverham Road, which if not wider was at least less populated. When Heaverham Road gave way to Watery Lane it was time to stop. This was the terminus, i.e. the first place to turn a bus after Kemsing! A reverse turn round the corner by the oast house was executed, and a halt made for photos.

421: Heaverham to Sevenoaks: RF315

We reboarded the RF and headed back through Kemsing. We turned up the face of the North Downs to reach the Pilgrim's Way, and carefully made our way back to Otford. We turned downhill, over the railway bridge, and pulled up at Otford Pond.

Maidstone and District Lynx 3043 pulled up behind, working a 401 from Farningham.

After the passengers had gathered back aboard we set off again, south along Otford Road to Bat & Ball, and up St.John's Hill to Sevenoaks.

The Lynx came in as well, and pulled in ahead of us. This bus had started in 1987 with Grey Green as No.887 for the 179 in Barking. Arriva Group transferred it to Maidstone & District in 1996.

Another emigrant from London service was Arriva Southern Counties Dart SLF 1628, which had previously been PDL 77 with Arriva London. I presume it was working the 401 from Westerham to Tunbridge Wells today.

Further down was a Maidstone and District bus of an earlier era: Regent V DL39, working the 9 to Borough Green today.

More red buses included RM1397, working on the 402, and "Uxbridge" RF406 off the 413A.

What next? A change of pace, if not direction, was offered by GreenLine RF28...

Part Four: Greenline 704 to Green Street Green and back