The Number 327 Route

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Having arrived at Waltham Cross Bus Station, it seemed worth taking this circular route, to the Elsinge Estate and back, as we should not be in these parts again.  It was the first actual circular route of the project (though we have taken there-and-back buses), so I was sorry not to be sharing it with Linda and Mary, both occupied with other matters this week.

This is a two-an-hour bus, which gave me time to cross to the Pavilions shopping centre.  The bus station had LOCKED facilities and no-one on duty.  It is run by TfL.  Ho hum.

Still, promptly at 11.33 the single decker arrived, and off we set, back along Eleanor Cross Road to join the sort of by-pass, Monarchs Way.  Looking for information on Eleanor, I found this rather good looking walk - maybe one of these years…

The minute we had passed the large Lidl and hit the Hertford Road, we saw quite heavy traffic going the other way.  I think it must have been the collateral damage from the accident that closed the A10 as I came up it on the 317 earlier.  

But in our direction we made good progress, pausing to let people off with their shopping.  Passing Lea Valley High School, we turned left into a residential area of streets mainly named for trees, and a hail and ride section of the route.  Many of the houses had attractive gardens, though one or two preferred dandelions. 

 Turkey Street Station is the initial destination of this route, and as we passed it, the indicator told us we were going to Waltham Cross:  ah, the excitement of a circular route!  Now we headed along Turkey Street, running parallel to the Turkey Brook.  Most London Rivers have useful and entertaining websites, but I have drawn a blank here:  suffice it to say that it flows into the River Lea.

The driver’s radio was talking about road closures in Camden and Lewisham, but did not help explain why we were now almost stationary.  He got audibly indignant when one of the vans squeezing past in the other direction was being driven by a man chatting on a mobile phone, but otherwise we just sat and looked at each other.  We regained the main road eventually, at a London Loop sign and the Sun and Woolpack Pub.  This pub was still open, but the Gun and Magpie shortly afterwards seemed to be boarded up, though it still displayed its handsome sign.

I also admired the little garden at the corner of Bullsmoor Lane as we swung back past the Tesco warehouse, and the Lidl to get back along Monarch Way to the bus station, arriving at 12.12.  I estimate that we had spent 10 minutes stuck in the traffic, but even so it was quite a quick loop round one side of Waltham Cross.

And still no rain, though the clouds were getting blacker and blacker as I moved across to my next bus, and left Waltham Cross, as far as the Project is concerned, forever.