V3 at South Mimms

St Albans Running Days

Saturday & Sunday January 12th-13th 2008

Prepared by Ian Smith, 25th January 2008.


343 to Markyate

Across St.Peters Street stood two buses bound for Hatfield. One was Metroline's RMC1513, posing as RM1513. It had worked in on the feeder service from Alperton via Harrow, Garston and route 321. It would form the mainstay of the 341 service connecting St.Albans with Hatfield Station during the day.

The other was Uno's Dart SLF 100, working the normal 602 service.

RMC1513, St.Peter's Street. 100 on 602, St.Peter's Street.

BL49 sneaked up behind me while I wasn't watching. How I missed hearing it coming I don't know. But good to see it here on the 84. It was followed by GS17, bringing in a group from Amersham.

BL49, St.Peter's Street. GS17, St.Peter's Street.

But here came my ride: London Country SNB312 on the 343, arriving from City Station and heading for Markyate. I climbed aboard, and secured a seat looking forward through the big windscreen. Looking forward up St.Peters Street I could see BL49, and Centrebus Dart SLF 583 on the S1.

SNB312 and GS17. BL49 & Centrebus 583.

We turned left at the roundabout, to squeeze our way over the top of the town and descend out of St.Albans into the Ver valley. We joined Watling Street and headed north-west towards the old extremity of the LT system. Once out of the city and onto the old Roman Road it was fast and straight, and we watched the miles flash past as we headed for Redbourn. The A5 was put onto a bypass round the village, but we went straight in, under the old railway bridge and up through the narrow village street.

St.Albans. Watling Street.

On the northern outskirts of Redbourn we stopped at an old London Transport bus stop for photos.

SNB312 at Redbourn. SNB312 at Redbourn.

We continued, escaping through a bus-only road onto the end of the by-pass, to continue our roar north-westwards. We passed under the M1, and by-passed Flamstead to reach Markyate, where we turned off the by-pass to squeeze into the long narrow village street. We stopped at another ex-LT concrete stop, this one complete with red finial. The blinds were changed for the return to St.Albans.

SNB312 at Markyate. SNB312 at Markyate.

We squeezed our way up through Markyate, not helped by parked traffic, and turned right at the top onto the by-pass, just as the Red Rose service bus, Enviro 200 Dart OU07FKH, turned in.

Markyate. OU07FKH at Markyate.

We zoomed south. The tight schedule left no slack, even for a relatively modern bus. At Redbourn we turned in through the bus-only gate to reach the village street, and eased southwards. Then it was back onto the straight Roman Road towards St.Albans. This gave us an excellent view of the Abbey on its hill as we approached the city.

Redbourn. St.Albans Abbey from the A5.

We climbed up into the town, and pulled up in St.Peters Street. I went to look at what was going on...

Part Five: St.Albans

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

Back to Ian's Bus-stop Part One Part Three Part Five: St.Albans