London Buses route 27
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 27 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
. The service is currently contracted to London United.
to Muswell Hill
, via current route 281
as far as Twickenham
, then via Richmond and Kew
to the current route at Turnham Green
. At Camden Town
buses ran to Archway and Muswell Hill. The route had first been extended beyond Turnham Green in 1911. The route operated through World War II
, when it was used by famous passengers including Peter Cushing
to reach the Q Theatre
near Kew Bridge
.
There was also a route 27A running from Hampton Court (Vrow Walk) to Archway via Bushy Park, Waldegrave Road, Twickenham and the main 27. Indeed after the 33 was extended from Richmond to Hounslow in March 1937, the 27 became Sundays only with the service north of Archway thus lost. The numbers were swapped over in the 1950s, so that the 27 became the main route once again, and the 27A to Hounslow disappeared shortly afterwards. The route was cut back to Richmond on Mondays to Fridays in 1970, with a new localised 270 (which later became the R70) replacing the service to Teddington, although the weekend service continued to run through until 1982. The route was finally cut back to Turnham Green and Camden Town in 1992, with the new 391 indirectly taking over the Richmond service and no replacement for the Archway section. The short extension to Chalk Farm Safeway (now Morrisons) took place in 1995.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the route was operated with a fleet of MCW Metrobus
es and ECW-bodied Leyland Olympian
s from Stamford Brook garage. It was operated by London United solely using Metrobuses until 2000, when it was won by First London
, initially using their own fleet of Metrobuses. In 2001 Plaxton President-bodied Dennis Tridents
were introduced.
Following a 5 year term with First London, the route reverted to London United
operation from 12 November 2005. After conversion back to London United (now Transdev London
) the route gained Volvo B7TL
s and Scania OmniDekka
s.
In late 2008, it was announced that the route was to be extended from its current Turnham Green terminal to the Chiswick Business Park
, which is on the site of the former Chiswick Park bus garage
, following a consultation with residents. The extension was expected to take place by October 2010, but has not yet taken place.
was a driver on route 27 prior to beginning his musical career. In January 2011, bus driver Kenny MacKay published a book titled The Road Ahead: Observations of a London Bus Driver about his experiences as a driver on route 27.
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
contracted bus route in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The service is currently contracted to London United.
History
The traditional route of the 27 was from HounslowHounslow
Hounslow is the principal town in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is a suburban development situated 10.6 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It forms a post town in the TW postcode area.-Etymology:...
to Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
, via current route 281
London Buses route 281
London Buses route 281 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:...
as far as Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
, then via Richmond and Kew
Kew
Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
to the current route at Turnham Green
Turnham Green
Turnham Green is a public park situated on Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, London. It is separated in two by a small road. Christ Church stands on the eastern half of the green. A war memorial stands on the eastern corner...
. At Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
buses ran to Archway and Muswell Hill. The route had first been extended beyond Turnham Green in 1911. The route operated through World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when it was used by famous passengers including Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
to reach the Q Theatre
Q Theatre
The Q Theatre, seating 490 in 25 rows with a central aisle, was opened in 1924 near Kew Bridge in west London by Jack and Beatie de Leon, and was one of a number of small, committed, independent theatre companies which included the Hampstead Everyman, the Arts Theatre Club and the Gate Theatre Studio...
near Kew Bridge
Kew Bridge
Kew Bridge is a bridge in London over the River Thames. The present bridge was designed by John Wolfe-Barry and opened in 1903 by King Edward VII. The bridge was givenGrade II listed structure protection in 1983.- Location :...
.
There was also a route 27A running from Hampton Court (Vrow Walk) to Archway via Bushy Park, Waldegrave Road, Twickenham and the main 27. Indeed after the 33 was extended from Richmond to Hounslow in March 1937, the 27 became Sundays only with the service north of Archway thus lost. The numbers were swapped over in the 1950s, so that the 27 became the main route once again, and the 27A to Hounslow disappeared shortly afterwards. The route was cut back to Richmond on Mondays to Fridays in 1970, with a new localised 270 (which later became the R70) replacing the service to Teddington, although the weekend service continued to run through until 1982. The route was finally cut back to Turnham Green and Camden Town in 1992, with the new 391 indirectly taking over the Richmond service and no replacement for the Archway section. The short extension to Chalk Farm Safeway (now Morrisons) took place in 1995.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the route was operated with a fleet of MCW Metrobus
MCW Metrobus
The MCW Metrobus is a double decker bus model manufactured by MCW from 1977 until 1989, with over 4,000 examples built. The original MkI model was superseded by the MkII model in 1981/1982, although production of the original MkI continued for London Transport until 1985...
es and ECW-bodied Leyland Olympian
Leyland Olympian
The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
s from Stamford Brook garage. It was operated by London United solely using Metrobuses until 2000, when it was won by First London
First London
.First London is one of many operators of London Buses and owned by First Group. They did also run the Tramlink network, in a partnership with Tramtrack Croydon before June 2008. Their registered office is at Paddington station in London...
, initially using their own fleet of Metrobuses. In 2001 Plaxton President-bodied Dennis Tridents
Dennis Trident 2
Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow...
were introduced.
Following a 5 year term with First London, the route reverted to London United
Transdev London
London United is one of many operators of London Buses and is owned by the RATP Group, an international public transport operator owned by the government of France...
operation from 12 November 2005. After conversion back to London United (now Transdev London
Transdev London
London United is one of many operators of London Buses and is owned by the RATP Group, an international public transport operator owned by the government of France...
) the route gained Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
s and Scania OmniDekka
Scania OmniDekka
The Scania OmniDekka is a double-decker bus built for sale in the UK...
s.
In late 2008, it was announced that the route was to be extended from its current Turnham Green terminal to the Chiswick Business Park
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, which is on the site of the former Chiswick Park bus garage
Bus garage
A bus garage or bus depot is a building where buses are stored and maintained. In many conurbations, bus garages are on the site of former car barns or tram sheds, where Streetcars or Trams were stored, and the operation transferred to buses...
, following a consultation with residents. The extension was expected to take place by October 2010, but has not yet taken place.
Current route
- Turnham GreenTurnham GreenTurnham Green is a public park situated on Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, London. It is separated in two by a small road. Christ Church stands on the eastern half of the green. A war memorial stands on the eastern corner...
Town Hall Avenue - King StreetKing Street-Australia:*King Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia*King Street, Newtown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia*King Street, Perth, Western Australia, Australia*King Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia*King Street, Devonport, Tasmania, Australia-Canada:...
(for Ravenscourt Park StationRavenscourt Park tube stationRavenscourt Park is a London Underground station located in west Hammersmith, west London. The station is served by the District Line and is between Hammersmith and Stamford Brook stations....
) - Hammersmith (Hammersmith & City Line) StationHammersmith tube station (Hammersmith & City Line)Hammersmith is a London Underground station in Hammersmith. It is the western terminus of the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines. The station is in Travelcard Zone 2 and is a short walk from the station of the same name on the Piccadilly and District lines. The two stations are separated by...
- Hammersmith (District/Piccadilly Lines) Station Upper Bus Station
- Kensington Olympia StationKensington (Olympia) stationKensington station is a station in West London managed and served by London Overground and also served by Southern and London Underground. It is in Travelcard Zone 2...
- High Street Kensington StationHigh Street Kensington tube stationHigh Street Kensington is a London Underground station at Kensington High Street.The station is on the Circle Line between Gloucester Road and Notting Hill Gate, and the District Line between Earl's Court and Notting Hill Gate. It is in Travelcard Zone 1....
- Notting Hill Gate StationNotting Hill Gate tube stationNotting Hill Gate tube station is a London Underground station in the street known as Notting Hill Gate. On the Central Line, it is between Holland Park to the west and Queensway to the east. On the District Line and Circle Line it is between High Street Kensington and Bayswater stations...
- Paddington StationPaddington stationPaddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
- Edgware Road (District, Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines) StationEdgware Road tube stationEdgware Road station is a London Underground station on the corner of Chapel Street and Cabbell Street Road in Travelcard Zone 1 serving the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines. The separate Edgware Road tube station is about 150 metres away on the opposite side of the Marylebone Road...
near Edgware Road (Bakerloo Line) StationEdgware Road tube station (Bakerloo Line)Edgware Road is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Bakerloo line and is between Paddington and Marylebone stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. The station is located on the north-east corner of the junction of Edgware Road, Harrow Road and Marylebone Road... - Marylebone RoadMarylebone RoadMarylebone Road is an important thoroughfare in central London, within the City of Westminster. It runs east-west from the Euston Road at Regent's Park to the A40 Westway at Paddington...
for Marylebone StationMarylebone stationMarylebone station , also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the mainline stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile from each... - Baker Street StationBaker Street tube stationBaker Street tube station is a station on the London Underground at the junction of Baker Street and the Marylebone Road. The station lies in Travelcard Zone 1 and is served by five different lines...
- Regent's Park StationRegent's Park tube stationRegent's Park tube station is a London Underground station by Regent's Park. It is on the Bakerloo line, between Baker Street and Oxford Circus...
- Great Portland Street StationGreat Portland Street tube stationGreat Portland Street is a London Underground station near Regent's Park. It is between and on the Hammersmith & City, Circle and Metropolitan lines...
- Warren Street StationWarren Street tube stationWarren Street tube station is a London Underground station, located at the intersection of Tottenham Court Road and Euston Road. It is on the branch of the Northern Line, between and , and the Victoria Line between and Euston. It is in Travelcard Zone 1 and is the nearest tube station to...
- Mornington Crescent StationMornington Crescent tube stationMornington Crescent is a London Underground station in Camden Town in north west London, named after the nearby street. The station is on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line, between and...
- CamdenLondon Borough of CamdenIn 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
High Street - Camden Town StationCamden Town tube stationCamden Town tube station is a major junction on the Northern Line and one of the busiest stations on the London Underground network...
- Chalk FarmChalk FarmChalk Farm is an area of north London, England. It lies directly to the north of Camden Town and its underground station is the closest tube station to the nearby, upmarket neighbourhood of Primrose Hill....
Morrisons
Notable drivers
Singer Matt MonroMatt Monro
Matt Monro was an English singer who became one of the most popular entertainers on the international music scene during the 1960s...
was a driver on route 27 prior to beginning his musical career. In January 2011, bus driver Kenny MacKay published a book titled The Road Ahead: Observations of a London Bus Driver about his experiences as a driver on route 27.