On the night of Sunday 7 April 2002 a hole started to appear in Blackheath
Hill. The fact that it happened so late in the day was the reason why there
were no casualties. Had it happened a few hours later in Monday morning
rush hour it could have been very different. Nearby residents were quickly
evacuated from their homes.
This photograph was taken on 16 April 2002, at which time the hole was
still growing slowly. This was the 53 route, which was diverted via Blackheath
Village and Lewisham. This not only causes severe disruption to the 53,
but many other route in the area suffered because of the extra traffic
running through either Lewisham or Greenwich.
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At first the 53 was diverted from Lewisham via Brookmill Road
to Deptford, this was later revised to run via Lewisham Road to join Blackheath
Road past the hole. Here can be seen TA227. X227 NNO. in Lewisham Road
on 16 April 2002.
Photograph. John King. |
This view of 23 August 2002. shows TA309. X309 NNO. in Lewisham
on the diversion. This bus has just turned out of Belmont Hill, behind
can be seen a 54 on its normal route.
Photograph. John King. |
One consequence of the Blackheath hole was that because of the disruption
to the 53 extra buses were drafted in to cover the busy section of the
route between New Cross (Sainsbury's) and Elephant & Castle. Blue Triangle
ran the extras, here T11. WYV 11T. can be seen at the first stop outside
New Cross Sainsbury's.
26 July 2002. Photograph. John King. |
For more information on the Blackheath hole see:- http://gihs.gold.ac.uk/blackhole/hole.htm
The home page of the Greenwich Industrial History Society is:- http://gihs.gold.ac.uk/
This page was designed and is maintained by Toby and John King, I would accept any comments or questions See Index Page