So this week has been long overdue because of the pandemic.
Day 1:
A leisurely drive via Northwich, Leek, Repton and the A5 takes me to spend some time reflecting on Captain Tom Moore at Millbrook (Beds) station where a beautiful bench has been placed in memory of him.
I drive on through endless country lanes checking on the St Albans Abbey branch but give up on hoping a train will actually run in the evening peak and wait till hopefully normal service resumes when the pandemic is over. I soon hit Harlow, my base for two nights. The night has barely begun so I make way to the station and get a return to Cambridge via Stansted Airport and then I return direct. There is a mad scramble to the airport escalator for those remaining few ready to escape for a long awaited Summer break. I scamper off to a chain hotel in the opposite corner of Harlow for the next day.
Day 2
I park my car behind Harlow Town at a very cheap car park and begin the following:
0525 Harlow Town - Stratford
0633 West Ham - Shoeburyness via Grays
0808 Shoeburyness - Barking direct
0938 Barking - Gospel Oak
1112 St Pancras Intl - Sutton via Wimbledon
1234 Sutton - Clapham Junction
1308 Clapham Junction - Richmond
1401 Richmond - Willesden Junction
1420 Willesden Junction - Clapham Junction
1452 Clapham Junction - Hampton Court
1524 Hampton Court - Berrylands
1615 Tolworth - Chessington South
1634 Chessington South - Clapham Junction
1715 Clapham Junction - Whitechapel
1806 Bethnal Green - Chingford
1840 Chingford - Hackney Downs
1909 Hackney Downs - Enfield Town
1953 Enfield Town - Edmonton Green
2011 Edmonton Green - Cheshunt
2025 Cheshunt - Harlow Town
Some notes:
I was aiming to complete c2c but they are building Barking Riverside so I annoyingly have Barking to Grays to do!
I wanted to see the Amy Winehouse memorial so wangled a way to max my coverage goals whilst being a bit of a tourist.
Shoeburyness is quite peaceful that time of the morning.
Harlow combines Milton Keynes and Skelmersdale for better or worse.
Day 3
I didn't put times on because I forgot but I was aiming for Greater Anglia branches that eluded me. Colchester Town stub still will as today was Sunday!
Broxbourne - Hertford East - Broxbourne
Witham - Braintree - Witham
Marks Tey - Sudbury - Marks Tey
Stone Crossing - Gravesend - Ebbsfleet International - Northfleet - Dartford - Stone Crossing
Some notes:
The car park at Witham is ridiculously cheap.
Sudbury and Matching Tye are delightful settlements. The cafe on King St near the church is recommended.
The walk from Ebbsfleet to Northfleet is about 15 minutes if you go through Ebbsfleet Car Park C.
Travelodge Stone Crossing is rather convenient isn't it?
Day 4
The most gruelling day so far
1007 Swanley - Bromley South
1027 Bromley South - Ramsgate
1225 Ramsgate - Dover Priory
1350 Dover Priory - Faversham
1437 Faversham - Rochester
1512 Rochester - Strood
1534 Strood - Maidstone Barracks
1623 Maidstone East - Ramsgate
1825 Ramsgate - Paddock Wood
2011 Paddock Wood - Maidstone Barracks
2059 Maidstone East - Swanley
2249 Sheerness on Sea - Sittingbourne
2325 Sittingbourne - Sheerness on Sea
Some notes:
It was so hard to choose how to start my Kent Rover. I had to tell my self something would have to be left as I didn't think it could be done in one day but I gave it my best shot.
The lady at Swanley station in the morning was very helpful especially with the first two moves.
I naively thought most Southeastern services out of London were express Javelins. Indeed the express bit stops after the Oyster limit and most are stoppers hence the long and brutal day.
I cut off Strood to Gravesend and the bit around Tonbridge as that can be done another time.
I didn't speed from Swanley to Sheerness.
Sheerness has some strange people around at that time of night.
Day 5
Another positioning move clockwise around London from Gravesend to Guilford via the most pretty A road journey ever - the A25 Sevenoaks - Guildford
1001 Gravesend - Strood
1015 Strood - Gravesend
So end's my use of the amazing value £30 Kent Rover ticket.
1139 Hurst Green - Uckfield
1233 Uckfield - East Croydon
1354 East Croydon - Caterham
1430 Caterham - Whyteleafe
1452 Upper Warlingham - East Grinstead
1536 East Grinstead - Hurst Green
Made use of a short walk to avoid yet more branch reversal fun.
1730 Redhill - Tonbridge
1817 Tonbridge - Redhill
Will add more in a couple of days!
Day 1:
A leisurely drive via Northwich, Leek, Repton and the A5 takes me to spend some time reflecting on Captain Tom Moore at Millbrook (Beds) station where a beautiful bench has been placed in memory of him.
I drive on through endless country lanes checking on the St Albans Abbey branch but give up on hoping a train will actually run in the evening peak and wait till hopefully normal service resumes when the pandemic is over. I soon hit Harlow, my base for two nights. The night has barely begun so I make way to the station and get a return to Cambridge via Stansted Airport and then I return direct. There is a mad scramble to the airport escalator for those remaining few ready to escape for a long awaited Summer break. I scamper off to a chain hotel in the opposite corner of Harlow for the next day.
Day 2
I park my car behind Harlow Town at a very cheap car park and begin the following:
0525 Harlow Town - Stratford
0633 West Ham - Shoeburyness via Grays
0808 Shoeburyness - Barking direct
0938 Barking - Gospel Oak
1112 St Pancras Intl - Sutton via Wimbledon
1234 Sutton - Clapham Junction
1308 Clapham Junction - Richmond
1401 Richmond - Willesden Junction
1420 Willesden Junction - Clapham Junction
1452 Clapham Junction - Hampton Court
1524 Hampton Court - Berrylands
1615 Tolworth - Chessington South
1634 Chessington South - Clapham Junction
1715 Clapham Junction - Whitechapel
1806 Bethnal Green - Chingford
1840 Chingford - Hackney Downs
1909 Hackney Downs - Enfield Town
1953 Enfield Town - Edmonton Green
2011 Edmonton Green - Cheshunt
2025 Cheshunt - Harlow Town
Some notes:
I was aiming to complete c2c but they are building Barking Riverside so I annoyingly have Barking to Grays to do!
I wanted to see the Amy Winehouse memorial so wangled a way to max my coverage goals whilst being a bit of a tourist.
Shoeburyness is quite peaceful that time of the morning.
Harlow combines Milton Keynes and Skelmersdale for better or worse.
Day 3
I didn't put times on because I forgot but I was aiming for Greater Anglia branches that eluded me. Colchester Town stub still will as today was Sunday!
Broxbourne - Hertford East - Broxbourne
Witham - Braintree - Witham
Marks Tey - Sudbury - Marks Tey
Stone Crossing - Gravesend - Ebbsfleet International - Northfleet - Dartford - Stone Crossing
Some notes:
The car park at Witham is ridiculously cheap.
Sudbury and Matching Tye are delightful settlements. The cafe on King St near the church is recommended.
The walk from Ebbsfleet to Northfleet is about 15 minutes if you go through Ebbsfleet Car Park C.
Travelodge Stone Crossing is rather convenient isn't it?
Day 4
The most gruelling day so far
1007 Swanley - Bromley South
1027 Bromley South - Ramsgate
1225 Ramsgate - Dover Priory
1350 Dover Priory - Faversham
1437 Faversham - Rochester
1512 Rochester - Strood
1534 Strood - Maidstone Barracks
1623 Maidstone East - Ramsgate
1825 Ramsgate - Paddock Wood
2011 Paddock Wood - Maidstone Barracks
2059 Maidstone East - Swanley
2249 Sheerness on Sea - Sittingbourne
2325 Sittingbourne - Sheerness on Sea
Some notes:
It was so hard to choose how to start my Kent Rover. I had to tell my self something would have to be left as I didn't think it could be done in one day but I gave it my best shot.
The lady at Swanley station in the morning was very helpful especially with the first two moves.
I naively thought most Southeastern services out of London were express Javelins. Indeed the express bit stops after the Oyster limit and most are stoppers hence the long and brutal day.
I cut off Strood to Gravesend and the bit around Tonbridge as that can be done another time.
I didn't speed from Swanley to Sheerness.
Sheerness has some strange people around at that time of night.
Day 5
Another positioning move clockwise around London from Gravesend to Guilford via the most pretty A road journey ever - the A25 Sevenoaks - Guildford
1001 Gravesend - Strood
1015 Strood - Gravesend
So end's my use of the amazing value £30 Kent Rover ticket.
1139 Hurst Green - Uckfield
1233 Uckfield - East Croydon
1354 East Croydon - Caterham
1430 Caterham - Whyteleafe
1452 Upper Warlingham - East Grinstead
1536 East Grinstead - Hurst Green
Made use of a short walk to avoid yet more branch reversal fun.
1730 Redhill - Tonbridge
1817 Tonbridge - Redhill
Will add more in a couple of days!
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