Celebrating a British icon 111
room only.
We start our journey at
Croydon, where the route has
been tweaked over the years
to serve both West and East
Croydon railway stations.
Croydon has the feel of a city
in its own right, complete with
its attractive Tramlink system.
Admittedly, the celebrated
Fairfield Halls concert venue
looks dowdy, and much in need
of the refurbishment it appears
to be getting, but there is almost
an air of aspirational chic these
days about the street cafés in the
main shopping area.
From here the X26 heads
directly west along the A232.
Almost the whole of the route is
built up, but the suburban sprawl
is interrupted by a succession of
distinct villages and small towns.
First comes the mixed residential
and light industrial area of
Waddon – though all we see of
it is a complicated series of road
junctions around Waddon station.
Next come Beddington and
Wallington, but again we pass
some distance from their central
areas, and soon we’re entering
the elegant Carshalton village:
quaint period buildings, and the
picturesque Carshalton Ponds,
divided by a causeway. You
could alight here to search out
the Hollywood Museum or the
Grade II listed 18th century water
tower, built to serve the nearby
Carshalton House (now a school).
From here it’s less than 2miles
to Sutton, one of south London’s
bigger towns, and reputedly the
fourth busiest shopping venue
in the capital. The bus skirtsLondon by Bus
TOP LEFT: Bus
stop publicity for
the larger vehicles
on the X26.TOP RIGHT:
Street-running
Tramlink trams
connect Croydon
with Wimbledon,
New Addington
and Elmers End in
part over tracks
taken over from
less frequent full-
size trains.LEFT: Renovation
work on Croydon’s
Fairfield Halls,
close to East
Croydon station.BELOW LEFT: A
tram passes the
Royal Hospital of
the Holy Trinity
in Croydon,
founded in 1596
by Archbishop
Whitgift.BOTTOM:
Whitgift’s
name also is
commemorated by
the major shopping
centre between
East and West
Croydon.