London Transport
Country Area Routes 410–419

South of the Thames

Last updated 18-07-08.

410
 Fare table charts were displayed behind a glass panel at the rear of the lower saloon by the bench seat next to the staircase. This one is in almost mint condition and is dated October 1966.
Route 410 farecard
410 SCHOOL JOURNEYS ONLY
 Routes 403 and 410 were scheduled so that they intersected with each other in both directions in Westerham. Westbound RLH 20 [KYY 520] leads an RT on the 403. Just visible on the opposite side of the road are an RT working an eastbound journey on the 403 and a Bromley-bound lowbridge STL on the 410 in this August 1950 view. The B(C)C(C)E9 stop flag also has an “E” plate for Green Line coach 706.
David Simpson photo; www.timebus.co.uk
RLH 20

Route 410 was a very long established route running daily between Reigate (Red Cross) and Bromley North Station via Redhill, Nutfield, Bletchingley, Godstone, Oxted, Limpsfield Common, Westerham, Biggin Hill, Leaves Green, Keston and Bromley Common. The route was withdrawn in September 1990, being partly replaced by route 320 between Bromley and Westerham. The 410 was worked from Godstone [GD] and Reigate [RG] garages; originally by low-height RLH vehicles, until the road was lowered in Oxted enabling standard RT double-deckers to be used on the route. It was converted from RT to RML operation in October 1965, and the RMLs were in turn replaced by AF class Daimler Fleetlines in February 1972.

A more detailed history of route 410 can be found in Kenneth Warren’s book, The Motorbus in London Country (Ian Allan, 1984; ISBN 0 7110 1360 8).

Route 411 ran daily from West Croydon Bus Station to Reigate via South Croydon, Purley, Old Coulsdon, Caterham-on-the-Hill, Caterham, Godstone, Bletchingly, Nunfield and Redhill. The 411 was unusual in that it ran parallel to other routes for its entire length: with the 409 between Croydon and Godstone and with the 410 between Godstone and Reigate. As a result, split “E” plates for this route are quite common.

Route 414 is described below.

This particular combined 411-414 plate came from a stop in Hatchlands Road, Redhill. The pairing with the 414 is quite rare despite the routes having two common sections, as the 414 was normally paired with the 405 on split plates.

 411 411 - 414
412
412 FARE STAGE
412 FARE STAGE

Route 412 ran between Dorking North Station and Sutton (The Volunteer) on the slopes of Leith Hill, via Westcott, Wotton, Parkhurst Corner and Holmbury St. Mary, where—for much of the life of the route—the sole bus was out-stationed (a practice often used in rural areas). In October 1968 the route was extended to Ranmore to replace the northern part of the 433 (a GS operated route) when the section between Dorking and Coldharbour was withdrawn.

Route 413 ran in the ’60s from Brasted or Sundridge Hospital via Ide Hill, Bayleys Hill, Cross Keys, Sevenoaks and Riverhead to Chipstead or Shoreham Village. As with so many country routes, it gradually got shorter and shorter over the years and has now disappeared, leaving some of the villages unserved.

 413
414
 414 FARE STAGE
 414 HORSHAM VIA DORKING
 ← This is a highly unusual plate with two place names mentioned. (“E” plates with a destination and intermediate point listed are more typical of Green Line practices.) There would have been at most only a couple of stops with such plates, and this one probably came from a stop in Reigate. Many plates in this area were annotated in this way (possibly to prevent confusion on Reigate’s one way system). A 414 plate marked WEST CROYDON VIA BLACKBOROUGH ROAD also exists. (There was also a 411 WEST CROYDON VIA REIGATE ROAD plate that was posted on the same stop.)

However, John Chilvers writes, “Could this not be because for much of its journey—West Croydon to Redhill—it was shared with the 405 which took a different, more direct route to Horsham during the ’60s?”

Route 414 was a major trunk route running between West Croydon Bus Station and Horsham Station via South Croydon, Purley, Coulsdon, Hooley, Merstham, Redhill, Reigate, Buckland, Betchworth, Brockham Lane, Dorking, North Holmwood, South Holmwood, Beare Green, Capel, Kingsfold and Warnham.

A more detailed history of route 414 can be found in Kenneth Warren’s book, The Motorbus in London Country (Ian Allan, 1984; ISBN 0 7110 1360 8).

Route 416 ran daily in the ’60s from Esher (High Street) to Boxhill (Greenacres) via Oxshott, Leatherhead, Headley Court and Pebblecombe. On Mondays to Saturdays part of the service diverted at Pebblecombe via Walton-on-the-Hill to Tadworth Station.

416
This “E” plate was bought from a Cobham Museum open day approximately 30 years ago. It is from the Esher to Tadworth version of the route, operated by Leatherhead Garage [LH]. Both are now but a memory!		416
The fact that the numbers are shifted to the left on this “E” plate suggests that it may originally have been intended to have a letter suffix. Also, note the subtle difference in the loop of the numeral 6 on this plate and the one to the left.		416 FARE STAGE
417
This “E” plate dates from the late 1960s, from the original route 417.		 417 FARE STAGE
 417 WEEKDAY
Country Area “E” plates with the legend WEEKDAY are unusual, as the majority of Country routes did not operate on Sundays. However, by the late 1960s the 417—which did operate seven days a week—had lost its Sunday service.

Route 417 ran on Mondays to Saturdays between Windsor (Bus Station) and Langley Village via Slough, with a couple of journeys extended to Colnbrook (Sutton Lane). Some journeys also ran between Windsor and Old Windsor Hospital on Wednesdays and Sundays.

In the late ’70s the number was reused for a summer Ramblers’ service from Dorking, running circular via Coldharbour, Leith Hill, Forest Green, Ewhurst, Abinger Hammer, Holmbury St. Mary and Westcott.

Route 418 ran daily between Kingston (Wood Street lay-by) and Bookham Station via Surbiton, Berrylands, Tolworth, Ewell, West Ewell, Epsom, Ashtead, Leatherhead, Great Bookham and Little Bookham. The service still runs today as part of the London Buses’ network between Kingston and Epsom as route 476.

In the late ’70s the number was reused for a summer Ramblers’ service running in a figure “8” east from Sevenoaks via Godden Green, Ivy Hatch, Ightham, Kemsing and Seal, then west via Riverhead, Ide Hill, Brastead, Chipstead, Chevening, Dunton Green and Riverhead.

There were odd 418 journeys that ran direct via the main road between Leatherhead and Ashtead (instead of via Leatherhead Station and Agates Lane), and the SPECIAL JOURNEYS ONLY plate will have come from one of those stops, and thus will be particularly rare. Because of the amount of weathering, I doubt that it came from the Ramblers’ service.

 418 418 SPECIAL JOURNEYS ONLY
419 VIA LONG GROVE HOSPITAL FARE STAGE

Route 419 was a short local route running between Langley Vale and Brettgrave via Woodcote Park, Epsom and Long Grove Hospital.

My guess is that this double-vertical plate came from Epsom.
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