Service 10 route review

[Derek Jones]

Back in June I provided a selection of shots from my collection of Canterbury-Charing (or Canterbury-Challock as it is now) service 667 and its variants, and mentioned some thoughts of doing something similar for one or two other services.

The first one of these on my list is service 10, which for many years up to 1986 was a through service between Maidstone and Folkestone jointly worked by Maidstone & District and East Kent (with an extension to Sevenoaks between 1981 and 1986).

Variants covering some sections or diversions have generated the need to use quite a few other route numbers including 10A, 10B, 10X, 20, 410, 510 and 710 (some of these for more than one purpose at different times), so I intend to cover these as well as "pure" 10s.

Starting at the Folkestone end (and this particular shot I know I have posted before, but have re-scanned it for better quality), M&D 5848 at Folkestone Bus Station in the last few days of M&D operation, in October 1986, on one of the through journeys beyond Maidstone to (in this case) Ightham.

Martin and Michael both photographed a Stagecoach Olympian in Folkestone in 2011

https://groups.google.com/g/mdekbusclub/c/ohrzd0OcOCc

Having photographed 10s in plenty of locations further west, I tended not to worry about the service much on the Folkestone-Hythe section, but fortunately we have Brian to thank for much of the more recent coverage in Hythe - these from 2017 & 2018

https://groups.google.com/g/mdekbusclub/c/dhg14gM20MA 

https://groups.google.com/g/mdekbusclub/c/3W3j7T4SaLY 

https://groups.google.com/g/mdekbusclub/c/Lh0ZX8Yv6Lo 

https://groups.google.com/g/mdekbusclub/c/wA4464jZskg 

More to follow in the coming days, and contributions from others very welcome as ever.

Derek J

[JFO]

Having visited Sevenoaks on Saturday and had to travel there via Tonbridge, I think its a shame the 10X or any service for that matter, doesn't run through to Sevenoaks from Maidstone anymore.

[Neil Gow]

That's interesting, I didn't remember that any of the journeys beyond Maidstone ran short to Ightham instead of through to Sevenoaks. Wonder why it didn't just stop at Borough Green then, as Ightham's not a large community. So again, here's an obvious response (although possibly a picture I posted before) - an East Kent vehicle in the section beyond Maidstone, which came to an end at the same time that M&D stopped going to Folkestone.The date is  27th July 1985 and the location is, err... Ightham.

Neil.

[Neil Gow]

It's the section between Maidstone and Borough Green that's really been hammered. Back in the mid-late 'seventies there were two if not three buses an hour on the 8, 9 and 25 (I think) serving different villages along the way, with 9 extending to Sevenoaks. Now there are, what, two buses a day?

[JFO]

I agree Neal, and currently there are about 5-6 buses a day from Larkfield on Nu Venture operated Route 70 via Otham with Nothing on Saturdays, plus the Arriva operated 570 School Bus, and though the Nu Venture Connect Route 58 serves some of the other Villages and runs on a Saturday, it stops short at Wrotham Heath, meaning that there is no link thorugh Platt Village to Borough Green on a Saturday, while the section of the old A20 between Wrotham Village and Wrotham Heath is served by GO Bus & Coach Route S11 School Bus from South Darenth and West Kingsdown to Sevenoaks Schools, and the section between Wrotham Heath and Leybourne Turning Junction is served by a few other school Routes and the Arriva operated Fridays only Tesco Free Bus Route T15 from West Kingsdown to Lunsford Park Tesco Store.
Finally I'm told that Maidstone & District Buses had a depot in Borough Green, but having looked at the Town on Google Maps, I can't see where it would have been, anyone know more?

[Neil Bays]

I believe the garage was on Western Road 

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.2926919,0.3055056,3a,90y,355.58h,83.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVBY1sL49SVr7tbGdDxyMGA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Neil B

[Darryl Meades]

"BG" was on the Maidstone Road, next to the turning into Griggs Way. The depot building was demolished and a small housing development built on the site, set back from the main road.

D 

[Myles Chantler]

The M&D depot closed in 1992. It was located on the junction of the A25 Maidstone Road and Griggs Way opposite I think the Black Horse pub

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From: 'JFO' via Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2020 8:24:04 PM
To: Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Invicta] Re: Service 10 route review

 

I agree Neal, and currently there are about 5-6 buses a day from Larkfield on Nu Venture operated Route 70 via Otham with Nothing on Saturdays, plus the Arriva operated 570 School Bus, and though the Nu Venture Connect Route 58 serves some of the other Villages and runs on a Saturday, it stops short at Wrotham Heath, meaning that there is no link thorugh Platt Village to Borough Green on a Saturday, while the section of the old A20 between Wrotham Village and Wrotham Heath is served by GO Bus & Coach Route S11 School Bus from South Darenth and West Kingsdown to Sevenoaks Schools, and the section between Wrotham Heath and Leybourne Turning Junction is served by a few other school Routes and the Arriva operated Fridays only Tesco Free Bus Route T15 from West Kingsdown to Lunsford Park Tesco Store.
Finally I'm told that Maidstone & District Buses had a depot in Borough Green, but having looked at the Town on Google Maps, I can't see where it would have been, anyone know more?

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[Group_owner]

Thanks Myles

With apologies for the quality of the original, here is a picture (taken by the late Jes Wilson in the early 1980s) of Borough Green depot (with preserved Atlantean 5558 visiting, possibly on a Club tour) as it appeared during the NBC era.

Derek J

[Richard Ratcliffe]

Redeveloped for housing if I recall correctly.  So not instantly identifiable as a former bus garage even if you go and look at the site!

 

RR

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdekbusclub/VI1P194MB0416F2A61FB14035CD9E8423F3530%40VI1P194MB0416.EURP194.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM.

[Group_owner]

Many thanks to John Cherry who has sent the following:

"I would suggest that the photo of M&D 5558 was taken on 8 August 1982 . This was a tour arranged by M&D visiting the depots of Gillingham, Luton, Borough Green, Tunbridge Wells, Silverhill and out station at Hawkhurst. We also had 4003 for an open top ride around Hastings.

I still have the welcoming letter on joint EK/M&D paper signed by R.A Lewis, Traffic Administration Assistant - yes our "Richard Lewis". "

Derek J

[Nicholas King]

All of these messages relating to the former Borough Green depot are covered in our M&D fleet history publication.

                In short, it became surplus to requirements soon after M&D took over the Armstrong Road site of Boro’line Maidstone and rationalised their local requirements.

                As Richard says, you need to know what you are looking for if you search today.  I last passed the site in 2015.

 

                The photographs of the 10 group are fascinating.  It occurs to me that the present 10 (Folkestone to Ashford) has less than half of its mileage in common with the “traditional” form of the route.

1              now via West Folkestone, Golden Valley and Shorncliffe instead of via Sandgate;

2              now via Saltwood instead of Pedlinge;

3              now via Lympne instead of staying on the A20;

4              now via Brabourne Lees instead of staying on the A20;

5              now via William Harvey Hospital instead of serving the Blacksmith’s Arms in Willesborough village.

                These changes have been introduced in various forms at various dates over the past four-plus decades.

                It would be interesting to see pictures of those lost mileages.  I know that they certainly exist for 1, 2 and 5, although not perhaps with members of the e-group.  The other two would have been more challenging to capture.

                There is also now the double-run via Greenfields at Sellindge, and the school runs which serve Stanford North.

                Some variant journeys (now on 10A) survive over the remaindered sections, except Willesborough village, and there are also now early morning journeys on 10A which start at Cheriton Post Office and run on the A20 via Beachborough Crossroads and Postling Wents to reach Newingreen and line of route (current photographs of those, anyone?)

                Those who are longer in their remaining teeth than myself will also recollect that 10 ran to and from Folkestone Harbour until 1943.

                West of Ashford, what is now the 10X is closer to its antedecents.  We have the double-runs via the John Lewis store on the western outskirts of Ashford, the diversion to serve the north end of Hothfield village, and occasional journeys via Charing Heath (just in one direction on Saturdays).

                The extension to Sevenoaks, subsuming M&D 9, ran from 1981 to 1986 as part of the Maidstone Area Bus Services scheme.  JFO has more than once bemoaned the present lack of a facility over the western end of this mileage.  I can only say that even in the 1970s, when I regularly rode this route on parental visits between Folkestone and Bromley, traffic was extremely sparse between West Malling and Seal, so it is hardly surprising that current provision across the gap is so meagre, matching demand.  No operator can be expected to provide a service purely for the convenience of enthusiasts who might use it perhaps three or four times a year!

 

Nicholas King

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