| London Central PVL23. V923 KGF, a Plaxton President bodied Volvo
on service 89 from Bexleyheath garage ascends Shooters Hill on its way
from Lewisham to Slade Green Station.
The first motor bus on the hill was the 92 in July 1913. It ran from
Lewisham to The Red Lion, Shooters Hill, which is just a little father
up the hill from this picture. No doubt those old timers didn't have the
go to get all the way to the top. The last stage coach to travel over the
hill was in 1846. It wasn't until 1931 that the next coach travelled this
way, the 702 Greenline from London to Gravesend.
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| London Central NV12. N412 JBV, on service 89 nears the top of Shooters
Hill. The journey from Bexleyheath clock tower to Blackheath is in a straight
line, a distance of nearly seven miles. It is along the old Roman Watling
Street.
It was at about this point where in the opening lines of chapter two of Charles Dickens book 'A Tale of Two Cities' that the Dover Mail was struggling up Shooters Hill, one Friday evening in late November 1775, in fear of sliding back to Blackheath in the mud,. or meeting with highwaymen 16 October 2001.
|
| A learner drives down Shrewsbury Lane, Shooters Hill. The bus is a
Leyland Titan, designated T, and is operated by London Central. The Bull
Hotel at the top of Shooters Hill is on the left hand corner at the end
of this road. This bus is following the 178 route.
The first bus on the North Slope of Shooters Hill, down Shrewsbury Lane and Eglinton Road was a short lived local route 256. Commencing service 30 June 1954, and ran from Woolwich to The Bull, Shooter Hill using TD class buses. It was very popular and was soon replaced with double deck RTL buses. After six months, on January 5 1955 it was replaced by route 89a which ran to Lewisham. On the 7 January 1959 the 89a joined with route 192 which was Woolwich to Plumstead Woodlands Estate at the time. † This was replaced by the 178 which terminated at Woolwich. The part
to Plumstead Common being replaced by 291 hopper bus. The 178 now only
goes as far as Kidbrooke Station in the other direction due to a weak bridge
there. A connection to Lewisham is by 278 on the other side of the bridge.
† Information suppl;ied by Chris Johnson of the Shooters Hill Local
History Group, This information is contained in "Aspects of Shooters
Hill No.2" by the Shooters Hill Local History Group, which has a detailed
article by Chris Johnson.
|
| The same place as the above picture almost six months later. Two 178s
pass in the road which is full of spring colour, not that it is any less
colourful than the colour of the autumn picture picture above.
15 May 2001 Photograph John King. |
| A 178 at the stop before descending Eglinton Hill on its way to Plumstead
Common and Woolwich. It has just tuned left from Shrewsbury Lane. Due to
the hill and narrowness of the road a one way system is operated by buses.
They go straight down Eglinton Hill, but come up via the bottom of Eglinton
Hill, then right into Cantwell Road, then Brent Road, and finally right
again into the top of Eglinton Hill. Thus on the up it crosses the down
route twice.
The 178 is run by Stagecoach Selkent. 22 November 2000 Photograph John King. |
"Aspects of Shooters Hill No.2" which includes the history of the bus
services over Shooters Hill.
"Aspects of Shooter Hill", numbers 1 and 3 are also avalible.
The price is £2.50 including postage and is obtainable from:
Chris Johnson,
6 Rayleas Close,
Shooters Hill,
London SE18 3JN.
Numbers 1 & 3 also available.
This page was designed and is maintained by Toby and John King, I would accept any comments or questions See Index Page
