London Transport
Country Area Routes 310–316

North of the Thames

Last updated 01-06-08.

310
 310 FARE STAGE
 310 MON.-SAT.
It is interesting in that this “E” plate appears to have been hand-painted then enamelled. The two 3s are different and the numbers are not properly spaced, nor the edges very sharp. I believe it came from the Broxbourne area. ↓ It was unusual for Country Area “E” plates to carry days of operation, but this one was produced in the latter days of enamelled plates and curiously included MON.-SAT., although I think the route was daily for most of the time.
310 FARE STAGE - 327 FARE STAGE

Route 310 was a very long-established route and ran daily between Enfield Town and Hertford (Bus Station) via Great Cambridge Road, Halfway House, Bullsmoor Lane, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt, Turnford, Wormley, Broxbourne, Hoddesdon, Amwell Cross Roads and Ware. On Mondays to Fridays it was extended to Sele Farm Estate via Hertford North. It has declined considerably over the years and no longer runs south of Waltham Cross and into the Greater London area.

Route 327 ran daily between Hertford (Bus Station) and Nazeingwood Common via Ware, St. Margarets, Rye House, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne and Nazeing. It was the last route to use pre-war RT buses because of a weak bridge near Broxbourne.

A more detailed history of route 310 and its variants can be found in Kenneth Warren’s book, The Motorbus in London Country (Ian Allan, 1984; ISBN 0 7110 1360 8).

Route 310A was a very long-established route that ran daily from Enfield Town to Rye House via Great Cambridge Road, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt, Turnford, Wormley, Broxbourne and Hoddesdon. It paralleled the 310 between Enfield Town and Hoddesdon where it forked off to the right at the Clock Tower and did a loop ’round the Rye Park area, finishing in Old Highway a short distance from the ruins of the Old Rye House. The number was changed to 316 when the “A” suffixes were removed in the late 1970s, in favour of three-digit numbers. After deregulation in the 1990s, the number 310A reappeared on a red London bus service operating on a rival route from Enfield to Hertford via Hertford Road instead of Great Cambridge Road.
310A
 310A
 310A
312
This “E” plate dates from the late 1960s.		 312 FARE STAGE
This “E” plate is believed to have come from a stop at Northchurch Post Office where a few journeys used to turn around. As with all SPECIAL JOURNEYS plates, they tend to be rather rare.		 312 SPECIAL JOURNEYS

Route 312 ran between Highfield and Durrant’s Farm Estate via Hemel Hempstead, Two Waters and Berkhamsted. Some journeys ran to Tring LT Bus Garage via Northchurch and Dudswell. For much of the ’50s through to the mid-seventies it was worked by RTs.

Route 314 was a local service in Hemel Hempstead which ran between Hemel Hempstead Station and Apsley Mills via Long Chaulden, Town Centre and Two Waters. For a period there must have been a Sunday variation, but I have no information about it. Please feel free to if you know the answer.

A more detailed history of route 314 and its variants can be found in Kenneth Warren’s book, The Motorbus in London Country (Ian Allan, 1984; ISBN 0 7110 1360 8).

The second “E” plate has a spelling error, as the correct name should read LONG CHAULDEN! It’s not often that errors were made among the many thousands of “E” plates that were produced.

 314 SUNDAY 314 LONG CHALDEN
314A 314A

Route 314A was a local service in Hemel Hempstead, running between Bennetts Gate and Warners End via Belswains Lane, Moor End, Town Centre and Gadebridge. The route hardly altered over the years which accounts for the very old plates.

Route 314B was a local service in Hemel Hempstead that ran between Maylands Avenue Industrial Area and Warners End via Swallowdale Lane Roundabout, Town Centre and Gadebridge.

The second number panel appears to be one of the paper labels which replaced the vinyl stickers that had, in their turn, replaced enamel “E” plates in the 1980s. However, Andrew Colebourne comments, “I’m completely baffled why there should be a sticker for route 314B. I cannot think of where there would have been a 314B route post-1980. There were very few suffixed routes in the Country Area series by that time anyway—The 310A, 310B and 492A are examples—and it would have to be a route which served London Transport bus stops as well. The number 314 was reused by LT in south London, but I’m almost certain that there would not have been suffixed variations; so, if it’s real, it would have to be a non-LT service or something that never actually ran.”

 314B 314B
314C

Route 314C ran during rush hours from Long Chaulden to Hemel Hempstead (Maylands Avenue).

This “E” plate is hand-painted onto sheet aluminum, hence the slight irregularities, especially noticeable in the number 3.

Routes 315 and 315A ran in the Country area of London Transport: the 315 between Kimpton and Hatfield via Codicote, Welwyn, Ayot Green and Welwyn Garden City, and the 315A between Knebworth and Hatfield via Mardley Hill, Welwyn, Ayot Green and Welwyn Garden City.
315 SPECIAL JOURNEYS
There were mainly a few peak hour journeys on Mondays to Fridays on these two routes, hence they are not easy routes to find “E” plates for, let alone more interesting ones such as this one with the SPECIAL JOURNEYS wording.		 315-315A
This “E” plate combining the routes 315 and 315A is exceptionally rare. It is the heaviest plate I have found so far, weighing nearly 11 ounces (315 grams)!.		 315-315A
As with the 310 FARE STAGE—327 FARE STAGE plate at the top of the page, this “E” plate also appears to be hand-painted. It dates from the late 1960s.
315A

Route 315A ran between Knebworth and Hatfield via Mardley Hill, Welwyn, Ayot Green and Welwyn Garden City. It was mainly a few peak hour journeys on Mondays to Fridays, with a couple running on to Welham Green. It is not an easy route to find “E” plates for.

Route 316 latterly ran between Amersham and Ley Hill via Chesham. It had once run through from Hemel Hempstead but this had ceased by the mid-60s. In the late ’70s the number 316 was re-used for the Rye House to Enfield Town service previously numbered 310A, running via Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Wormley, Turnford, Cheshunt and Waltham Cross. In view of its condition, this plate may have come from the more recent route.

 316
316A

Route 316A ran just a few Monday to Friday peak and lunchtime journeys between Hemel Hempstead and Apsley Mills via Moor End and Two Waters.

Route 316B ran just a few Monday to Saturday peak and lunchtime journeys between Hemel Hempstead Station and Hemel Hempstead (St. Paul’s Road) via Moor End and Town Centre. Looking at the timetable for 1965, it appears that the only Saturday section of the route was at St. Paul’s Road, as the Monday to Friday journeys ran to Blessed Cuthbert Mayne School instead, thus this must be an exceptionally rare plate. Indeed, red plates for the country area are not common, nor are Saturday only plates, and to combine all this with a “B” suffix…!

 316B SATURDAY
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