On 24 Sep, 22:15, "Chris Read" wrote:

What about some of the routes in the Purley/Warlingham/Woodmansterne areas?
This is fairly hilly territory, and I've often thought I could enjoy a ride
on the top deck around these parts, but never made time for it. In fact, any
route recommendations in this area?

Try the 409 from East Croydon Station. It's a long lived survivor from
LT Country Bus days and still goes to East Grinstead, miles out in the
country, albeit via a very slightly different route these days. It's
surprising how quickly you leave behind the very urban feel of Croydon
as it trundles through leafy suburbs and heads off through very
sparsly populated areas and zig zags across Surrey picking up various
towns otherwise unserved by any buses at all. It even at one point
back-tracks on itself along the same road in the Farleigh area! It's
usually a single deck vehicle, although double deckers are sometimes
used - despite the fact that it it usually only has a couple of people
on board. Allow yourself plenty of time as it must be one of the
slowest ways of getting anywhere, which is why almost no one uses it,
apart from the fact that it only runs once an hour and stops running
at about 6p.m. and not at all on Sundays. Welcome to public transport
outside London!

Peter