Route 703 RecreationSaturday 1st August 2015Prepared by Ian Smith, 5th August 2015.398A: Amersham to Winchmore Hill: RF679The afternoon entertainment was a 398A journey up to Winchmore Hill. The blinds were set up on the RF. But where could we turn? The road was too busy to turn outside the old Amersham Garage. Some of us walked along Amersham High Street to look for somewhere suitable for a turn. Not a hope. Back at the bus maps were consulted. It looked as though we could go right through the village and up to a roundabout where we could turn. Arriva the Shires' Cadet 4534 passed the other way on the 1 to Chesham.We set off westwards, passing the old market hall and the timber-built Kings Arms. All very picturesque. We continued on through the village through traffic-calming chicanes. Then we came to a double-width stretch of road. Here we could turn the RF with little problem. We doubled back into Amersham, and turned right at the roundabout to grind southwards up Gore Hill. A right turn took us past the Tower and up Tower Lane towards Coleshill. Coleshill gave an impression of being manicured. Expensive and well cared for, behind clipped hedges. We forked right up Barracks Hill. Here parked cars became a problem. One in particular took about ten minutes of careful inching to get the RF past, with about two inches clearance. Beyond the village it was easier: the lane was narrower - with passing places - but the cars we met had drivers in them! We continued forward up Sampsons Hill, then right, up Coleshill Lane, eventually emerging on The Common, Winchmore Hill. It was decided that we were NOT going back to Amersham the same way! A quick discussion suggested that if we continued forward we would quickly meet the 362 route from High Wycombe to Amersham (the modern route 1 that 4534 had been on). So we set off. Whielden Lane took us back towards Amersham, a much easier route than via Coleshill. The 1 does a double run to a roundabout and back up the hill in order to access Amersham Broadway, but we just turned right at the roundabout and came back to Amersham Garage via Gore Hill. We went straight over the Tesco roundabout, and up Station Road, up to Amersham Station. I crossed over to the station, where I found that there was less than five minutes to wait for a Chiltern Railways train. I bought a Railcard extension ticket to get me back to Zone 6, and boarded 165027 when it arrived, for the trip back to Marylebone. Tomorrow would be another day... Part Five: Chesham Running Day
Ian's Bus-stop One Two Three Four Five Six Seven
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