Route History

at 03.10.34
SP
7ST
7ST
8ST

LEWISHAM Rennell Street,  Lee Green - Eltham Green - Eltham Church - Bexley Road - Blackfen - Blendon - BEXLEY VILLAGE Kings Head ( Mon-Sat / Sun am) - Bexley Lane - Shepherd's Lane - West Hill - DARTFORD Westgate Street ( Suns pm)

Taken from 1934 map drawn by Mike Harris
busmap.co.uk

17.04.35
SP
7ST
7ST
15ST

LEWISHAM Rennell Street - BEXLEY  VILLAGE Kings Head ( Mon-Sat ) - DARTFORD Westgate Street ( Suns )
Sunday am extended from Bexley to Dartford

02.10.35
SP
10LT
10LT
12LT

LEWISHAM Rennell Street - BEXLEY  VILLAGE Kings Head ( Mon-Sat / Sun am) - DARTFORD Westgate Street ( Sun pm)
Sunday am withdrawn between Bexley and Dartford

04.12.35
SP
10LT
10LT
12LT

LEWISHAM Rennell Street - BEXLEY STATION ( Mon-Sat / Sun am) - DARTFORD Westgate Street ( Sun pm)
Bexley termintitle= changed to Station instead of King;s Head

08.04.36
SP
10LT
10LT
15LT

LEWISHAM Rennell Street - BEXLEY STATION ( Mon-Sat ) - DARTFORD Westgate Street ( Suns )
Sunday am extended from Bexley to Dartford

09.09.36
SP
6LT
6LT
14LT

LEWISHAM Rennell Street ( Suns ) - ELTHAM Well Hall Station ( Mon-Sat ) - BEXLEY STATION ( Mon-Sat ) - DARTFORD Westgate Street ( Suns )
Mon-Sat withdrawn Eltham and Lewisham

12.10.38
SP
6LT
6LT
14LT

LEWISHAM Rennell Street ( Suns ) - ELTHAM Well Hall Station ( Mon-Sat ) - BEXLEY STATION - BEXLEY Hospital ( Sun afternoon journeys)
Withdrawn between Bexley and and Dartford except for afternoon journeys to Bexley Hospital

29.11.39
SP
11LT
8LT
14LT

ELTHAM Well Hall Station,  Blackfen - Blendon - Danson Road - Crook Log - Bexleyheath - Bourne Road - Bexley - Blendon. Blackfen - ELTHAM Well Hall Station or
ELTHAM Well Hall Station - Blackfen - Blendon - Bexley - Bourne Road - Bexleyheath - Crook Log - Danson Road -   Blendon. Blackfen,  ELTHAM Well Hall Station
Sunday afternoon additional service ELTHAM Well HallStation - BEXLEY HOSPITAL ( Sun afts )
Daily extended from Bexley to Eltham to form a circular route in both directions
Sunday afternoon service retained to Bexley Hospital

13.02.46
SP
10LT+
11LT+
13LT
    1LT/161 1LT/161  


13.04.49
SP
11RTL+
16RTL
17RTL
    1LT/161    

WELL HALL STN  -  WELL HALL STATION circular + BEXLEY HOSPITAL ( Sun afts )
LT type replaced by RTL


04.07.52
SP
14RTL
15RTL
17RTL

WELL HALL STN  -  WELL HALL STATION circular + BEXLEY HOSPITAL ( Sun afts )
See map

Taken from 1952 map drawn by Mike Harris
busmap.co.uk


04.05.55
SP
11RT
14RT
15RT

WELL HALL STN  -  WELL HALL STATION circular + BEXLEY HOSPITAL ( Sun afts )
Converted from RTL to RT

30.04.58
SP
8RT
12RT
15RT

WELL HALL STN  -  WELL HALL STATION circular + BEXLEY HOSPITAL ( Sun afts )
Frequency cuts


04.03.59
SP
6RT
8RT
4RT

ELTHAM - Blackfen - Danson Road - Crook Log - Bexleyheath - BEXLEYHEATH GARAGE (Sat am/Sun) - ERITH (Mon-Fri/Sat pm)
Circular Route discontinued - terminating at Bexleyheath via Crook Log and extended from Bexleyheath to Erith Mon-Fri and Sat am.
This was part of Trolleybus Replacement program.

01.07.64
BX
11RT
11RT
2RT

ELTHAM - BEXLEYHEATH GARAGE (Suns) Erith Belvedere - Abbey Wood - Plumstead - WOOLWICH Parsons Hill ( Mon-Sat ) WOOLWICH ROAD Victoria Way (Mon-Fri peaks)
MS service extended from Erith to Woolwich and further extended Mon-Fri peaks from Woolwich to Victoria Way.
SP title=location withdrawn - BX title=location introduced.


Taken from 1964 map drawn by Mike Harris
busmap.co.uk

I wonder if anyone travelled end to end other than an enthuiast considering the 161


18.04.70
BX
7SM
4SM
3SM

ELTHAM - BEXLEYHEATH GARAGE (Sat/Sun) Colyers Lane - SLADE GREEN STN (Mon-Fri)
Mon-Fri service diverted to SLADE GREEN STATION,withdrawn between Colyers Lane and Woolwich / Victoria Way.
Converted to single deck OPO operation.

SM1

SM1 Bexleyheath Broadway

busmap.co.uk


05.01.74
BX
9DMS
4DMS
3DMS

DMS2385

DMS2385 Well Hall

busmap.co.uk


01.03.75
BX
9DMS
4DMS
3DMS

ELTHAM Well Hall Station - BEXLEYHEATH GARAGE (Sun) - SLADE GREEN STN  ( Mon-Sat )
Saturday service extended from Bexleyheath to Slade Green as per Mon-Fri.


22.04.78
BX61+
7DMS
7DMS
4DMS

ELTHAM Well Hall Station - Blackfen - Blendon - Bexley - Bexleyheath - Blackfen - ELTHAM Well Hall Station
(Circular both directions)

Reverted to pre 1959 routeing being a circular route. The Bexleyheath to Slade Green section covered by revised 89.

1979
During 1979 Bexleyheath (BX) were experiencing problems with the DMS B20 typw and used SM type to cover


08.03.83
BX61+
8T
7T
2T

ELTHAM Well Hall Station - Blackfen - Blendon - Bexley - Bexleyheath - Blackfen - ELTHAM Well Hall Station
(Circular both directions)
Converted from DMS type to Leyland Titan type.

 

T799 over advert seen at Eltham Well Hall Station

 


16.08.86
SP
9L
10L
3L

ELTHAM Well Hall Station - Blackfen - Blendon - Bexley - Bexleyheath - Blackfen - ELTHAM Well Hall Station
(Circular both directions
Bexleyheath Garage closed - title=location moved to Sidcup (SP)

L32

L32 Eltham High Street

busmap.co.uk

16.01.88
CR
6ON
6ON
5ON
Contract reassigned

ELTHAM STATION - Blackfen - Bexley - BEXLEYHEATH Market Place
Circular route withdrawn in favour of above routeing.

732

732 with the awful blind layout seen in Bexleyheath

busmap.co.uk


17.02.92
CR
6ON
6ON
5ON
logo Contract reassigned

ELTHAM STATION
- Blackfen - Bexley - BEXLEYHEATH Market Place

New contract with Kentish Bus operating from Crayford base
754 Southend Crescent
17.10.93
DT
6ON
6ON
5ON


ELTHAM STATION
- Blackfen - Bexley - BEXLEYHEATH Market Place

Operation transferred to Dartford Garage (DT)


24.01.98
CR
6XL
6XL
4XL
Contract reassigned

ELTHAM STATION
- Blackfen - Bexley - BEXLEYHEATH Market Place

New contract

 

Harris Bus 375 Bexleyheath

 


25.03.00
BV
7sd
7sd
3sd
logo
Contract reassigned

ELTHAM STATION - Blackfen - Bexley - BEXLEYHEATH Market Place
New contract

East Thames 324 Bexleyheath - shows more info on the blind compared to Harris

Mid 03
BV21+
8VWL
8VWL
4VWL

ELTHAM STATION - Blackfen - Bexley - BEXLEYHEATH Market Place
Converted to double deck.


24.03.07
BV21+
8DWL
8DWL
4DWL

ELTHAM STATION - Blackfen - Bexley - BEXLEYHEATH Market Place
Reverted to single deck operation.

24.01.09
BV131+
12DWL
12DWL
6DWL

BEXLEYHEATH Market Place - Friswell Place - Arnsberg Way - Broadway - Gravel Hill ,Bourne Road - High Street - Bexley Station - High Street - Parkhill Road - Bridgen Road - Bridgen - Blendon Road - Blendon - Blackfen Road - Blackfen - Blackfen Road - Bexley Road - Avery Hill - Bexley Road - High Street - WellHallRoad - Eltham Station - WellHallRoad - Rochester Way - Blackheath Sun,in Sands - Blackwtitle=l Tunnel Southern Approach - Peartree Way - Greenwich Peninsula Sainsbury's - Roads within retail park - Millennium Busway (adjacent to Southern Way - Millennium Village and West Parkside) - Edmund Htitle=ley Way - NORTH GREENWICH STATION
Note: On Friday and Saturday nights after 2200 - buses start from Bexleyheath Arnsberg Way - near Geddes Place - and thus do not serve Market Place or Friswell Place.
Extended from Eltham Station to North Greenwich Station.

03.10.09
BV81+
12DWL
12DWL
6DWL
Contract reassigned to Go-Ahead
London General


BEXLEYHEATH Shopping Centre  -  NORTH GREENWICH STN
New contract

DWL15 North Grenwich

07.11.09
BX81+
12E
12E
8E
allocation moved to Bexleyheath (BX) thus now under London Central management

E62 is in Bexley Road - Eltham - heading towards Blackfen.

© John King


Taken from 2014 map drawn by Mike Harris
busmap.co.uk


04.10.14
BX81+
12E
12E
8E

BEXLEYHEATH Shopping Centre  -  NORTH GREENWICH STN
Contract extended for two years

12.09.15
BX81+
12E
12E
8E
Night service FS BX331+  
4E
 

BEXLEYHEATH Shopping Centre  -  NORTH GREENWICH STN
Night service added on Fri/Sat nights

PVL284 Eltham

© John King

01.10.16
BX81+
15E
14E
11E
Night service FS BX331+  
4E
 

BEXLEYHEATH  -  NORTH GREENWICH
Contract renewal


02.10.21
BX81+
16E
15E
12E

BEXLEYHEATH  -  NORTH GREENWICH12
Contract renewaL with new electric vehicles

SP1

Brand new electrics have made their debut on Route 132 with EP1 seen by Millennium Park, IKEA working a trip towards Bexleyheath, Shopping Centre.

 

Current Blind



132

 

Operating Garages

SP Sidcup
Changeover point at ELTHAM Southend Crescent

BX Bexleyheath
Changeover point at garage
From 7.11.09 at Geddes Place Bexleyheath

Boroline Maidstone
Changeover point at Eltham

BV Belvedere
Changeover point at Eltham

CR Crayford
Changeover point at Bexleyheath

Live visual

 

Route 51 guide

 

© Ian Armstrong 2024
Date of edit   Thursday, 18.01.24