A late summer trip to the seaside this time, with bus rides including “Open Toppers” in the Thanet area of East Kent, based on the resort of Margate.

***Open Top Trident 17528 at Marine Drive, Margate, before commencing service for the day on the 69 (Cliffsend - Minnis Bay).***

*This bus is the only one in this updated Stagecoach style version of traditional East Kent livery. The gold fleet names are a nice touch.*

Background

The title of this article reflects a famous 1989 episode of the BBC sitcom “Only Fools & Horses”, in which Del Boy and friends have a weekend in Margate, going by coach, which gets blown up in a freak accident. I was hoping that nothing similar would happen on any of the buses I travelled on in my trip to the area!

I have fond memories of family visits to a Great Aunt in Birchington during summers in the 70s, which usually included an Open Top bus ride aboard an East Kent AEC Regent V on Route 69 to Minnis Bay, Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate or Pegwell Bay Hoverport. Stagecoach have run Open Toppers in the area over shorter routes in more recent times, but this year have revived the traditional 69 service over most of its former routeing, so an opportunity to relive the old days 50 years on.

In the intervening decades, I had been to East Kent to ride Bristol VRs and Nationals on local routes, then later on some of the last Stagecoach Olympians before they were withdrawn. My most recent trip, in 2021, involved chasing Tridents and Dennis Darts, now also consigned (mostly) to history.

***Trident 17528 again, this time at Minnis Bay after I rode it here from Margate as the sole passenger and before continuing to Cliffsend Viking Ship at the other end of the route.***

*This is one of two ex Stagecoach London Tridents still in service as Open Toppers and now the only examples of the type left in East Kent. An elderly bus still in fine form.*

OPEN TOP Route 69: Margate - Minnis Bay - Cliffsend

Day 1 of my visit and I arrived on Margate seafront at 8.45AM, to await the first Open Top departures of the day on Stagecoach Route 69, which were due to leave at 9AM from opposite stops in Marine Drive - northbound to Minnis Bay and southbound to Cliffsend.

A study of the timetable showed that the service runs Hourly from 0900 to 1800 in each direction, with dates of operation being Daily from 19th July to 31st August and then Weekends only until 21st September 2025. It also advertised the £6 Adult Day Ticket on the route, with special rates for under 19s and groups.

A few minutes later, two Open Top buses arrived in quick succession - firstly Enviro400 19136 in a light blue livery with sandy coloured skirt, which was to form the 09.00 departure to Cliffsend. Meanwhile, an even more venerable vehicle, Trident 17528 in a modern representation of traditional “East Kent” maroon and cream livery, drew up at the opposite stop to form the 09.00 service to Minnis Bay. Both buses had large “Discover Thanet” decals on the sides between decks, together with details of the £6 Day Ticket and line diagrams of the route. Of particular interest to me was that both vehicles were ex London ones - the Enviro having served at Bromley Garage and the Trident in East London at Bow and West Ham Garages. Whilst fitted with electronic front and side blinds in their new guise, I spotted that the Enviro retained a TfL number blind at the rear, showing “69”, but with the “2” of “269” blacked out, presumably its original Bromley blind!

Stagecoach has a total of 6 Open Toppers or Part Open Toppers at Thanet Garage for a PVR of 3 on the 69, all converted former London vehicles. These comprise:

2 x Trident Alexander ALX 400 (17528, 17529)
2 x ADL Enviro400 (19135, 19136)
2 x Scania OmniCity (15101, 15103)

On the day I travelled, the 3 buses out were 17528, 19135 and 19136, although 15101 was parked up at Margate Station as the spare and acting as a driver’s rest room.

I boarded Trident 17528 and soon we were off, just me and the driver, on the first trip of the day to Minnis Bay. Nice to have an old London bus to myself as we started the journey, calling at Margate Station a couple of minutes later with no takers. Continuing on to Westbrook, we passed the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital, opened in 1791 to treat tuberculosis patients with pioneering open air treatments, but closed in the 1950s and now a listed building converted to apartments.

We then deviated from the route taken by “normal” buses to serve Royal Esplanade overlooking the sea, before returning briefly to Westbrook Avenue. We then branched off again to follow Sea Road around the coast at Westgate, before serving the small inlet of Epple Bay. Another brief incursion inland towards Birchington, before swinging right along Beach Avenue and back to the coast along Cliff Road to the terminus at Minnis Bay, much of the coastal section of the route being lined by seaside hotels, guest houses and holiday lets.

Just 20 mins to Minnis Bay, largely covering the traditional 69 route as it used to operate back in the day. However, my privileged position as the only passenger was now at an end, as there were around a dozen passengers waiting at the Canute Road stop for the return trip, the first of the day from this point at 09.31. The morning was overcast, with a hint of drizzle in the air, but this did not seem to deter the clientele from travelling on the upper deck! The driver said during the break that the route had exceeded expectations for usage, due to the hot dry summer weather for much of the time it had operated and that late running of half an hour or more on busy days was not uncommon.

I duly reboarded for the return run, this time along the full length of the route. We returned the way we had come, through Birchington and Westgate back to Margate, where the large sandy beach (and indeed the town itself) was surprisingly quiet for the August school holiday period, although the weather may well have been a factor in that. To our right, we passed the once thriving “Dreamland” amusement park, now largely closed and neglected, despite various attempts to reinvigorate it over the years and restore it to its former glory, although the former art deco cinema on the site survives as a concert venue.

After a 5 min “hesitation” built into the schedule at Marine Parade, we continued on around the coast road past Margate Lido and Winter Gardens, both of which looked in a state of decay, although there are plans to restore both sites which will hopefully come to fruition if funds can be found. On through Cliftonville to Palm Bay, before turning inland to skirt the Northdown Park estate towards Kingsgate. However, from here to Broadstairs, we took the inland route through the woods to St Peter’s and into the town “the back way”, rather than continuing on around the coast via Joss Bay. The driver had explained previously that when a test run had been carried out over the intended route along the coast, overhanging trees had proved a problem, necessitating a diversion inland over this section.

Whilst passengers had been on and off in ones and twos up to this point, arriving into Broadstairs, we were faced with a large crowd at Victoria Parade, which took a good 5 mins to shift, particularly as many had questions about where the bus went and the best tickets to buy. Eventually, we were off again, following the Esplanade around to Dumpton Gap, before turning inland for a while through the suburbia of Dumpton Park. Approaching Ramsgate, we again reached the coast road at East Cliff, before making our way downhill to the Harbour, filled with small boats and yachts. Another busy passenger exchange, before climbing away from the harbour area towards West Cliff, calling at the Boating Pool, where several alighted and a few joined.

From here, we again left the coast for a while, circling inland through the outer suburbs of Ramsgate, before reaching open country up to the main A299 roundabout. It was then a short run along Sandwich Road to the terminus at Cliffsend, adjacent to the Viking Ship. A 1h25m run, but we had done well to be only 5 mins late arriving, despite being so busy on the second half of the route. Most of our load alighted to explore the adjacent country park and to view the replica Viking longship, which was sailed from Denmark to Thanet in 1949 to commemorate the 1,500th anniversary of the Anglo-Saxon landing in 449AD.

***Enviro400 19136 is one of two former London examples of the type, seen on the 69 at Margate Station, now neatly open topped.***

*Formerly at Bromley Garage during its TfL days, note that the centre doors have been retained, unlike on the Tridents.*

OPEN TOP Route 69: Cliffsend - Margate

I had been impressed how much of the traditional 69 route today’s revived version follows, but it is a shame that the former destination of Pegwell Bay Hoverport no longer exists. This was purpose built in 1969 to serve the English Channel crossing market using SR.N4 hovercraft. I recall visits in former times when we would arrive by Open Top Bus and ascend the viewing platform to watch the hovercraft arriving and departing, which was then a tourist attraction. The site closed to passenger services in 1982 but remained for a few more years for engineering and admin purposes. After plans to develop the site as a major leisure complex fell through in the 1990s, it remains disused.

Back to the bus and, after a 5 min pause, we continued around the terminal loop in Cliffsend and back onto the Sandwich Road the way we had come. Once again, busy on the return trip over the section through Ramsgate to Broadstairs, but quieter onwards to Margate. I alighted back at Marine Parade at 11.55 after a 55 min run, having completed a full round trip. An interesting experience and good to revive some old memories of halcyon days.

The 69 seems to be something of a success story and will hopefully return next year for a longer season. Thought is apparently being given to adding an extra bus to the service and maybe the coastal section in the Kingsgate area can be restored if physical restrictions can be overcome. A comparison of the current timetable with an East Kent one from 1975 that I have in my collection is interesting, in that it shows an identical 60 min frequency over almost the same operating hours!

***In addition to the 2 Tridents and 2 Enviro400s, there are 2 Part Open Top Scania OmniCity types with Stagecoach East Kent at Thanet Garage, including 15101 seen parked up at Margate Station.*** ***All 6 buses are ex London.***

*This bus was not in service on the day I visited but was being used as a drivers’ rest room. It too retains its centre doors. Presumably signwriting will be added to the livery in due course.*

Route 32: Margate - Minnis Bay (& back)

In the afternoon, I switched my attention to local services in the Margate area operated by Stagecoach. These were re-cast last year, but the poster maps on the bus shelters still showed the previous network, a source of possible confusion to the unwary visitor, although current timetables were displayed. As with many parts of the country, places previously served by town services have largely been replaced by diverting out-of-town routes. Whilst no doubt providing cost savings in operation, this often leads to extended journey times for longer distance passengers due to more convoluted routeings.

Next on my list was Route 32. This operates between Margate Cecil Square and Minnis Bay along the main road direct route through Birchington, but not before performing a loop around the Garlinge area, a suburban estate on the western side of Margate. A 60 min frequency applies throughout on M-S daytimes, although additional shorts between Margate & Garlinge provide a 30 min service over that section.

On the day I visited, the 2 buses out on the route were a single decker (Enviro200) and a double decker (Enviro400). I had the latter, 19409, a former Manchester vehicle released from service there by the recent “Bee Network” changes and one of a number sent to Thanet Garage for Trident replacement. A reasonable number of returning shoppers boarded with me at Cecil Square, before we set off past the station towards Westbrook. We then hung a left over the railway and into the suburban hinterland, describing a loop around the estate in Garlinge. However, after disgorging most of our load, our driver pulled into the last stop on the circular section, saying he had a problem with non-functioning front indicators and would call the garage for advice. Luckily, we were given permission to continue, although the bus would come out of service on reaching Minnis Bay.

After completing the loop, we re-emerged onto the Canterbury Road on the outskirts of Westbrook and continued along to the dual carriageway section through Westgate and on to Birchington, calling at The Square, where several short-riders joined us for the last section to Minnis Bay. After leaving the town, a brief flash of greenery before passing under the railway and emerging into the genteel streets of Minnis Bay. We terminated at Canute Road after a 35 min trip.

Our bus was then declared “out of service” and awaiting recovery. However, a long wait was avoided as, bang on departure time, a replacement arrived from the depot in the form of sister Enviro400 19418. The drivers then swapped buses and I boarded the replacement vehicle with several others, a piece of slick working from Thanet Garage. We returned to Margate via the reverse of the outward route, taking just 30 mins on this occasion.

By way of a comparison, at the time of my 1975 timetable, Garlinge was served by Margate Town Services 54/154, which operated across the town centre to Dane Valley. The main road between Margate, Birchington and Minnis Bay was covered by trunk routes 49/50, of which more later.

***Enviro400 19418 at Margate Cecil Square on a shortworking of Route 32 to Garlinge. I had ridden this bus on its previous trip from Minnis Bay to this point.***

*This is a former Manchester example, transferred with several others to Thanet as Trident replacement.*

Route 34: Margate - Ramsgate (via Westwood)

Back at Margate, I walked along the seafront to the Railway Station, an impressive classical style edifice rebuilt in 1926 by the Southern Railway and Grade II listed.

This was the start point of my next route, the 34 to Ramsgate, the long way round via Westwood. As with the 32, it takes in parts of what were once town services. A 30 min frequency operates M-S daytimes.

All 5 buses out were Enviro400s and I had 19412, another refugee from Manchester, although unlike the previous two examples which had been in the older “beachball” livery, this one was in the newer but now also superseded “local” livery. Departing from Margate Station, we picked up a good number back at Cecil Square, before proceeding south of Cliftonville and describing a large loop around the Dane Valley area, another estate once served by a local service. Having broken free from going around in circles, we continued up to the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital on the outskirts of town.

We then had a nice countrified run at speed along St Peters Road and Dane Court Road, before turning off towards the Westwood area. After serving ASDA, the retail park and the shopping centre, we arrived opposite Westwood (or Thanet) Bus Garage, where we had a driver change. Continuing on through suburbia, we encountered slow moving traffic through various sets of lights, before traversing three sides of a square to serve the Newington area, another housing district to the rear of Ramsgate, which provided much local patronage. Finally, we made our way downhill into Ramsgate itself, terminating in Leopold Street, close to the Harbour. A 1h15m journey.

As a comparison, my 1975 timetable shows that Dane Valley was served by Margate Town Services 54/154 as mentioned earlier, whereas the remainder of the route was covered largely by the 64, although in a different format, as this ran between Margate and Ramsgate via St Peter’s Road and Broadstairs, then on to Newington. Back then, the route didn’t serve Westwood, as the shopping centre and retail park had yet to be built, so was not so much of a traffic objective in those days.

***In contrast with the previous picture, Enviro400 19412 on the 34 at Ramsgate Leopold Street is in the newer version of Stagecoach livery. I rode this bus here from Margate.***

*This is another vehicle released from service in Manchester by the “Bee Network” changes.*

Part LOOP: Ramsgate - Margate (via Broadstairs)

To return to Margate, I switched to the “LOOP” service, which operates in a large circle around Thanet. I had ridden the entire circuit on a previous visit, but this time, I just covered the Ramsgate to Margate section via Broadstairs, the bus then continuing back to Ramsgate via Westwood. “LOOP” buses operate both clockwise and anticlockwise, at an impressive 8 min frequency M-S daytimes, 10 mins Sun daytimes, 15-30 mins evenings. A few minutes “hesitation” is built into the schedule at various points around the route.

The service is single deck, with a mix of Enviro200 MMC, Enviro200 “classic” and Enviro300 types seen. Some of the Enviro200 MMCs are in a special livery with signwriting for the route, showing points served and highlighting the “up to every 8 minutes” frequency. I caught one of the branded vehicles, 26242, and we departed Ramsgate with a reasonable load. Unlike the 69 I had been on earlier, we followed a mostly inland route, running via Dumpton to Broadstairs and then through St Peter’s to Cliftonville. However, due to roadworks on the direct route, we were sent on diversion via the coast road between Cliftonville and Margate, reprising my earlier ride on the 69. We rejoined the normal route just before Margate Town Centre, arriving at Cecil Square after a 45 min run.

At the time of my 1975 timetable, most of what is now covered by the “LOOP” was in the hands of trunk routes 49/50 (which covered Margate - Ramsgate via Broadstairs) and the 52 (which did the Margate - Ramsgate via Westwood leg). However, even then, most buses did the whole loop, with 49/50s arriving at Ramsgate proceeding back to Margate as 52s, whilst 52s arriving at Ramsgate then returned to Margate as 49/50s!

Similar to the one I travelled on, Enviro200 MMC 26245 pauses at Margate Cecil Square on the anticlockwise “Loop” service, although buses operate both ways round. The destination changes to display “Ramsgate”, “Margate”, “Broadstairs” or “Westwood”, depending on where the bus is on the circular service.

*This is one of several with special signwriting for the route, showing the points served and the 8 min M-S daytime frequency. Standard liveried Enviro 200s and 300s also appear.*

Route 36: Margate - Herne Bay

Day 2 of my outing to Thanet dawned bright and clear. After a Full English, I returned to Cecil Square in Margate and rejoined the “Loop” for a short 5 min ride a few stops up to the QEQM Hospital aboard Enviro300 27891.

My first full route of the day was the 36, which links Margate and Herne Bay, further west along the coast. An approximately hourly service operates M-S daytimes. Of particular interest, is that one morning trip westbound and one afternoon trip eastbound does a double run to serve Reculver, a place I had never visited previously by bus.

Bang on time at 08.50, Enviro200 36866 of Herne Bay Garage arrived at the hospital terminus. Just two of us boarded for the run back to Margate Town Centre, where we picked up precisely no-one. We then proceeded along the Canterbury Road through Westbrook and Westgate to Birchington, where we acquired another couple of passengers at The Square.

Turning left, we continued out of town, the built-up area of Thanet suddenly giving way to rolling open fields. At the St Nicholas Roundabout, we turned right along the A299 for a speedy dual carriageway non-stop run, before taking the turn-off to the village of Hillborough. It was then that we began our double-run along a narrow lane, with high banks and hedges on each side. We soon reached Reculver, which has a handful of houses, a couple of caravan parks and a pleasant little pub “The King Ethelbert”. As we reversed at the bus turning circle beside the pub, I noted the twin towers of the ruined St Mary’s Church on the cliff above, which was abandoned after coastal erosion destroyed much of the original village and has since acted as a marker for shipping. Visitors can view the church and remnants of the nearby Roman Fort, with walks possible along the coast in both directions. The area gained fame in WW2 as the place where tests were carried out on prototype “bouncing bombs”, designed by Barnes Wallis and which were used in the “Dambusters” raid.

Sadly, our run to Reculver did not produce any custom, but probably not surprising as only one bus a day in each direction serves it. In former times, a regular service operated here from Herne Bay, including an Open Top route in summer. Proceeding back along the lane to Hillborough, we transitioned from a country bus to a Herne Bay Town Service and began filling up as we continued through the built-up area through Beltinge and into Herne Bay itself. After dropping most of our passengers in the High Street, we were sent on a diversion around Station Road and the back side of town, due to roadworks blocking the direct route. We terminated at Westcliff, a suburb of Herne Bay, after a trip time of 1h10m.

I stayed on for a short distance on the return run, continuing on around the terminal loop and back into town, where I alighted at Herne Bay Station 10 mins later.

Looking at the 1975 timetable, Route 36 was then a Summer Only service, running between Margate, Herne Bay, Whitstable and Faversham, with 3 journeys a day each way. So, there is arguably a better bus service today than back then between Thanet and Herne Bay, although Reculver and Hillborough then had a more frequent local service.

***Enviro200 36866 of Herne Bay Garage at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, before I rode it on the 36 through to Herne Bay via Reculver.***

*Despite the destination, the bus continues beyond the town centre to Westcliff. To the left is the Helicopter Landing Pad for the hospital.*

Part Route 600: Herne Bay - Greenhill, becoming Route 400: Greenhill - Canterbury

At Herne Bay Station, I switched to the main trunk routes in the area, the 400/600, which link Herne Bay with Canterbury via Whitstable and Sturry respectively. In practice, buses operate in a complete circuit from Canterbury, either clockwise or anticlockwise, changing number at Greenhill on the outskirts of Herne Bay. Buses on the 400/600 run every 30 mins, Hourly eves and Suns. However, additional buses operate between Canterbury and Whitstable on the western leg as 401 and between Canterbury and Herne Bay on the eastern leg as 601, providing a 15 min joint frequency M-S daytimes and 30 mins Sun daytimes over the common section with the parent routes.

Until recently, these services were known as the “Triangle” instead of being numbered, but the the introduction of the 400/600 mirrors the original East Kent numbers of 4/6 over this corridor and presumably was intended to reduce confusion over which way round the loop buses are going - but read on!

The timetable at Herne Bay Station told me that the westbound 600 was the bus to “Greenhill (for Whitstable)”, not exactly making it clear that the bus becomes a 400 at Greenhill and runs through. However, 5 mins later, Enviro400 MMC 11558 of Herne Bay Garage in Stagecoach “local” livery arrived and I climbed aboard. This type is the standard allocation and the one I boarded was a modern bus, with wood effect flooring, high backed seating, USB ports and next stop screens plus announcements.

A few minutes further on, we reached the first stop in Greenhill, where a loop working operates. Slightly confusingly for the unaware, the announcement was played “This bus terminates here”, strictly correct as regards the 600, with a pause whilst the driver programmed the next trip, which was immediately followed by another announcement saying “Welcome aboard the 400 to Canterbury”.

Soon we were off again, with a busy run out of the Herne Bay suburbs onto a short winding country stretch, before arriving into suburbia again at Tankerton, then on to the centre of Whitstable. A noticeable contrast between Herne Bay and Whitstable - the former a typical Victorian seaside town with wide streets, beaches and pier, whilst the latter has narrow streets in the centre with wooden fisherman’s huts near the beach and is famous for oyster fishing. A one-way system operates through Whitstable Town Centre, which we negotiated gingerly. Climbing the hill out of town, we served the hospital and retail park on the outskirts, before finally reaching open country.

By now, we were around 10 mins down on schedule due to being busy with traffic and passengers, but our driver was able to make up time, as we had few stops on the country section. Up and down hill, through woods and past farmland, before arriving into the village of Blean, followed by the Canterbury suburbs. Passing close to the University of Kent, we descended into the city centre, which we circumnavigated through sticky traffic before turning through the gap in the city walls to the Bus Station. 1h20m in total, our lateness having been reduced to 5 mins by this stage.

Canterbury Bus Station is always busy but on this occasion was a mess, due to roadworks on the adjoining slip road and large areas being fenced off, including the Bus Information Centre, which was closed. Not a good advert for Stagecoach or the city.

***Enviro400 MMC 11558 of Herne Bay Garage has arrived at Canterbury Bus Station after my trip on it from Herne Bay via Whitstable on Route 400.***

The driver has already changed the destination for its next trip on the 601 to Herne Bay via Sturry, which is a short-working version of the 600. The 400/600 change number at Greenhill (near Herne Bay) and continue on the other service in a complete loop back to Canterbury.

Route 8A: Canterbury - Northdown Park

Canterbury is a busy and vibrant city, with its ancient cathedral, bustling centre and universities. It is also the centre of bus operations in East Kent, with routes radiating out in all directions, together with a local city service network. Sadly, the Bristol VRs, Olympians and then Tridents that greeted me on successive visits down the years have now gone, with Enviro400s (both classic and MMC versions) plus Enviro200s / 300s dominating the scene these days.

To return to Thanet, I switched to the 8/8A routes, which operate between Canterbury & Margate, with the 8 then continuing to Westwood and the 8A to Northdown Park. A joint 15 min frequency applies M-S daytimes, alternately on each route, Hourly evenings Canterbury - Margate only. On Sundays, an Hourly service runs on the 8 only all day. Interestingly, looking back at my 1975 timetable, the 8 operated over much the same route between Canterbury & Margate, although without the extensions.

Having ridden the plain 8 in the opposite direction on a previous visit, this time I opted for the 8A variant, boarding Enviro400 MMC 15274 of Thanet Garage at Canterbury Bus Station. The 8/8A are busy routes and a long queue meant we left a few minutes behind schedule. Nevertheless, despite traffic congestion on the opposite side of the road coming into the city, we had a free run outbound and picked up another good load at Sturry Road ASDA and retail park. Leaving the city outskirts, we crossed the railway level crossing at Sturry Station, with its staggered platforms either side.

Up to now, we had operated in parallel with the 600 to Herne Bay, but whilst this continued north, we swung off to the east, passing through the villages of Hersden and Upstreet. At the pretty village of Sarre, we passed one of Kent’s oldest pubs, the “Crown Inn” dating from 1500, famous for its home made Cherry Brandy! Sarre was once a port and had a ferry to the Isle of Thanet across the Wantsum Channel, until that eventually silted up. Leaving the village, we passed Sarre Windmill and continued a short distance to St Nicholas-at-Wade. After this, at the roundabout, we rejoined the dual carriagway through the countryside, until suddenly hitting the outskirts of Birchington, with its ribbon development.

A short pause to await time at Birchington Square, before continuing back to Margate. However, this time, we diverted off the main road to serve Westgate Station and town centre, making our way past the hotels, B&Bs and holiday flats to Westbrook. Arriving back at Margate Cecil Square, we exchanged passengers before continuing on the 8A routeing out to Cliftonville, once again taking the diversion along the coast road due to roadworks. After calling at the shops in Cliftonville, we followed various back streets through suburban housing to Northdown Park, with a long terminal loop around the estate. 1h20m for the journey.

***Another Enviro400 MMC, this time 15274 of Thanet Garage, at the Northdown Park terminus of Route 8A, after my journey on it from Canterbury.***

*The 8 and 8A operate in tandem from Canterbury to Margate, with the 8 continuing to Westwood Shopping Centre and the 8A to Northdown Park, near Cliftonville.*

Part Route 8A: Northdown Park - Margate

After a short break, I reboarded the same bus to travel back to Margate Town Centre via the reverse of the outbound route, which took 25 mins. Here I alighted after an interesting trip discovering Thanet and the surrounding area, reliving some old memories and riding some new sections of route for me along the way.

I was relatively impressed with the service offered by Stagecoach in the area, although some late running was evident due to traffic conditions and high levels of usage on the trunk routes at least. The lack of printed publicity is an oversight in my view, a Thanet timetable booklet with fold out map available on buses or local information centres would help advertise the services better. Nevertheless, I’m sure I will be back in future years to explore other parts of East Kent by bus!

Watton

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