'Buses'
Buses that served Bushey & Oxhey
By Arthur Hall
What was the Bus service like in the Oxhey area ? , I can only remember 3 services in the early day’s, and they were the 346 London Country which ran between Kingswood in Watford and Hillcroft Crescent in Hamper Mill Lane. The 302 Which ran from Hemel Hempstead to Watford Heath, and the 311 which ran from Watford to Shenley. The 346 was o.k. for residents who lived in the Eastbury Road, Hampermill Lane area up to Vivien Gardens. the 302 was o.k. for Pinner Road to Watford Heath area, and was used by residents who lived in the Courtway, Greenfield Avenue, Penrose Avenue, and Carpenders Avenue area of The ‘St Meryls Estate’. The 311 which ran along the Aldenham Road in the direction of the Avenue was o.k. for residents in that Oxhey part of what we then knew as Bushey & Oxhey. The 142 & 158 service benefited Bushey residents.I decided to raise the question of Buses as I realise that not many people of my age which is now 80 are network users, and memories become shorter, hence the need to put pen to paper and list our memories before they fade. I hope that this article will stir memories, and add to the areas public transport covers.
Since writing the foregoing, I have been informed that some time in 1960 the 346 started to serve South Oxhey, and then at a later date a 346A was introduced which became a circular route via Heysham Drive, with the 346 travelling in the reverse direction. As the Estate grew a 346B was introduced to run in circular route during rush hour periods, travelling from Carpenders Park Station,via Hayling Road, Sandy Lane, Prestwick Road back to C.P.Station. I hope this information will stir the memories of early South Oxhey Residents, and generate some stories about the Bus Service,
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We moved to Hayling Road, South Oxhey, in 1950. We had a 5-minute walk to Sandy Lane to get the unreliable 345 (later the 347) to Watford or Northwood. When the estate roads were tarmacked we had the 346 that ran from Harebreaks to Hallowes Crescent past the ‘new’ shops, where it terminated. One day, a lorry was blocking the roads, so the bus was driven up on the grass, got stuck and was eventually towed off! Soon after that, the 346 was extended to Dumfries Close, though for many years the buses still showed ‘Hallowes Crescent’.
The 346A was running long before 1960 when I was 12 years old and living in Prestwick Road opposite Little Oxhey Lane. This bus terminated up the road at Heysham Drive and its first stop on the way back was at the bus stop then situated at the bottom of Liphook Rd right next to the then named Dick Whittington Pub. I notice on Google Street View that the stop has been moved a couple of hundred yards south due no doubt to the traffic arrangements at the junction with Little Oxhey Lane.
Early 60’s the 346 route was down the Hayling Road as far as Dumfries close, reversed into the close then back. The buses seemed to run even in dense fog with a memory of someone holding a flaming torch on the corner of Dumfries close, to help with the reversing. There was the 347 bus that went up the Hampermill Lane, going between Uxbridge to Garston garage ?? this route split in the 70’s with 347a travelling through the estate up Prestwick Road