Memories 83 Bus

Those who lived on the Ferndale Park Estate in the 1950s and 1960s will remember the Maidstone & District number 83 bus that regularly ran every 15 minutes from Hilbert Road at the top of Pig’s Hill, through the town to Tunbridge Wells West Railway Station, and back. Here are some memories and information about the bus.

Above: an 83 bus parked in Nevill Terrace outside Tunbridge Wells West Station c1955, waiting to start on its route to Ravenswood Avenue, and below just leaving Nevill Terrace – photos thanks John Tippey & Mick White, Facebook OTW.

Before the rough track from the end of Albion Road (by Dorking Road) up to the estate was made into a road, the number 83 bus used to terminate at St James Road, where it turned round ready to return to Tunbridge Wells West railway station. After the track was made up in 1947, the route was extended up what we called Pig’s Hill, now King George VI Hill, to the estate. The bus stop was situated in Hilbert Road opposite the low numbers end of Ravenswood Avenue, outside what is now 21 Hilbert Road. The buses were all double-deckers and ran from early in the morning until late in the evening.

Those of us who lived in the low numbers of Ravenswood Avenue and Pinewood Road got off the bus when it stopped just into Ravenswood Avenue, before reversing into Hilbert Road ready to return to town, and walked along the southern end of Ravenswood Avenue. Those passengers who lived in Fairfield Avenue, Hilbert Road or the high numbers of Ravenswood Avenue, walked down Hilbert Road and into the northern side of Ravenswood Avenue.

I can remember seeing some of the younger passengers from the northern side of the estate jump off the bus at the top of Pig’s Hill as it slowed to turn right into Hilbert Road. Buses had a conductor as well as a driver in those days, and when they weren’t issuing tickets, the conductor stood on the back platform of the rear (and only) open entrance; they did not have doors. The conductors always turned a blind eye to those wanting to jump off. This, of course, is not possible to do on today’s buses with their closing doors and our health and safety laws, but I don’t ever recall of hearing anyone being hurt.

Smoking was allowed on buses in those days, but only on the top deck. For some reason, that I was never able to work out, the most popular seat upstairs was the double seat at the back on the left at the top of the stairs. Perhaps this was because you were able to be the first off the bus of the upstairs passengers, useful if you were running late for work! Children always ran to the front seats upstairs where they had a clear view of where the bus was going, and the elderly and those with shopping, usually sat downstairs.

The buses were very reliable and the number 83 was no exception. It was due to leave the estate every 15 minutes, on the hour, quarter-past, half-past and quarter-to, and I hardly remember it ever being late or failing to leave on time. People who lived on the estate worked out how long it took them to walk from their house to the bus stop, and therefore knew what time they should leave in order to catch the next bus.

Writing on Facebook OTWPS in 2014, Derek Still (40 [now 62] Hilbert Road) said, ‘I was born in Hilbert Road two months before the war. I remember Pig’s Hill being refurbished and when the first 83 went up there, a boy was killed at the bottom outside The Handy Shop.’ In a later posting in 2018, Derek added, ‘On the first day of buses up Pig’s Hill, Charlie Medhurst was run over by one outside The Handy Shop, and sadly died. He was helping the milkman.’

Patricia Skittrall nee Taylor (20 Hilbert Road) said, ‘There was no bus service then; the way to town was along Ferndale and Lansdown Road. There being so little traffic, I remember whizzing down the hill on a bike and seeing how far you could get up the other side without pedalling.’

The following text is from my book Pages of Pages describing the genealogy research I made about our Page family in East Sussex, ‘A later advertisement from the Kent & Sussex Courier of 22 May 1936 describes Ferndale Park Estate being ‘350 feet above sea level’ and ‘Close to terminus of bus route No 83’. The houses were described as, ‘Well-built freehold houses price £705 including law costs or may be bought with £50 down’ and ‘Excellent detached houses only £848.

‘It is interesting that the 360 feet height above sea level quoted in the 1934 advertisements had dropped to 350 feet in the 1936 advertisement! Note also the later advertisement referred to the estate being close to the 83 bus route terminus whereas the earlier one referred to it being close to bus routes 12 and 16. The 83 bus route (which still exists today, albeit as number ) originally terminated at the junction of St James’ Road and Albion Road, but was extended to Hilbert Road at the top of King George V Hill (known locally is ‘Pigs Hill’ after the estate was built’.

I hope the 83 bus pictures bring back memories to those of you who used to ride on them. I think they were all taken in the 1950s.

This picture, also shown on the Home page, of the number 83 bus going up what we called Pig’s Hill – photo thanks John Tippey, Facebook OTWPS

An 83 bus at the top of Wells Hill on its way to Ravenswood Avenue. I don’t recall seeing the route signs at the front and rear of the 83 bus saying anything other than ‘Ravenswood Avenue via Central Station Lower St James’ (as opposed to Ferndale Park Estate). Note the Triumph Herald alongside the bus – photo thanks Mick White, Facebook OTWPS.

An 83 bus in Hilbert Road waiting to leave for Tunbridge Wells West railway station with with the houses of St James’ Road in the background. Note the route sign now says ‘West Station via Camden Road Central Station’. – photo thanks Mick White, Facebook OTWPS

An 83 bus on its way to Ravensood Avenue at the Monson Road bus stop, with a number 191 about to turn left into Mount Pleasant Road to stop by the War Memorial on its way to Heathfield and Polegate – photo thanks John Tippey, Facebook OTWPS.

Two advertisements for houses on the Ferndale Park Estate. The above is from the 3 August 1934 Courier and note, in addition to the price of £670 to £685, the reference to ‘...and only 5 minutes walk from ’bus services 12 and 16’. Does anyone know where the 12 and 16 bus stop was, or where those buses went to because I don’t remember either of them?

The advertisement below is from the 22 May 1936 Courier and note, in addition to the higher prices of £705 and £848, the reference to being ‘Close to terminus of bus route No 83’, which at that time was at the junction of St James’ Road and Albion Road – photos thanks Courier

Above: an 83 bus waiting in Neville Terrace to leave Tunbridge Wells West railway station on its route to Ravenswood Avenue, and below one turning from Neville Terrace into Eridge Road – photo thanks Mick White, Facebook OTWPS.