Bus 51 in London: Hare Street to Orpington Station

Bus 51 runs across south-east London from Hare Street to Orpington Station, with Woolwich Arsenal Station early on the route. It is a long and winding route through Plumstead, Welling and Sidcup, so it suits people travelling between suburban centres rather than into the middle of London.

Both directions carry between 55 and 57 stops. The complete journey takes between 62 and 86 minutes on weekdays, and the bus is less frequent at weekends.

Where the route goes

Starting at Hare Street, the bus heads via Powis Street and Calderwood Street to Woolwich Arsenal Station, then passes Burrage Road and Frederick Place on its way to Plumstead. Trinity Church and Blendon Terrace come next, followed by Plumstead Common and the Ship, then Kingsdale Road and Thornhill Avenue.

Welling Station and Deepdene Road are the main landmarks in the middle, before the route reaches Westwood Lane and Blackfen Road. Sidcup Station and Sidcup High Street are the key points in the next section, with Kemnal Technology College and Crittalls Corner on the way out to St Mary Cray and the Nugent Retail Park. The southern end passes the Walnuts Centre and the Orpington War Memorial before arriving at Orpington Station.

Stops: Hare Street - Orpington Station

  1. Hare Street
  2. Powis Street
  3. Calderwood Street
  4. Woolwich Arsenal Station
  5. Vincent Road /Woolwich Arsenal
  6. Burrage Road / Arthur Grove
  7. Frederick Place
  8. Bloomfield Road / Plumstead Common Road
  9. Trinity Church
  10. Blendon Terrace
  11. Plumstead Common / The Ship
  12. Plumstead Common Road
  13. The Slade / Ravine Grove
  14. Bassant Street
  15. Kingsdale Road
  16. Thornhill Avenue
  17. Combeside
  18. Chaucer Road (DA16)
  19. Wickham Street / Edison Road
  20. Central Avenue/ Wickham Street
  21. Welling Station
  22. Deepdene Road
  23. Hook Lane / St Leonards Close
  24. Faraday Road (DA16)
  25. Westwood Lane / Hook Lane
  26. Wendover Way
  27. Westwood Lane / Blackfen Road
  28. Wellington Avenue /Blackfen Rd
  29. The Oval
  30. Marlborough Park Avenue
  31. Oaklands Avenue
  32. Annandale Road
  33. Hollies Avenue
  34. Halfway St /Old Farm Road West
  35. Sidcup Station
  36. Station Road / Crescent Road
  37. Sidcup High Street / Station Road
  38. Church Road (DA14)
  39. Knoll Road
  40. Middleton Avenue (DA14)
  41. Cray Rd / Foots Cray High St
  42. Mayfield Villas
  43. Crittalls Corner
  44. Kemnal Technology College
  45. Midfield Way
  46. Walsingham Road (BR5)
  47. Broomwood Road St Paul's Cray
  48. Station Approach / St Mary Cray
  49. Nugent Retail Park
  50. Stanley Way
  51. Kent Road
  52. High Street / Carlton Parade
  53. High Street / Church Hill
  54. Walnuts Centre
  55. High Street /Orpington War Memorial
  56. Tubbenden Lane
  57. Orpington Station

Stops: Orpington Bus Station - Beresford Sq /Woolwich Arsenal

  1. Orpington Bus Station
  2. Tubbenden Lane
  3. High Street /Orpington War Memorial
  4. Walnuts Centre
  5. High Street / Broomhill Road
  6. Goodmead Road
  7. Carlton Parade
  8. Kent Road
  9. Nugent Retail Park
  10. Station Approach / St Mary Cray
  11. Springvale Way
  12. Broomwood Road St Paul's Cray
  13. Walsingham Road (BR5)
  14. Sevenoaks Way / Midfield Way
  15. Crittalls Corner
  16. Suffolk Road (DA14)
  17. Sidcup Hill / Cray Road
  18. Middleton Avenue (DA14)
  19. Knoll Road
  20. Church Road (DA14)
  21. Sidcup High Street / Station Road
  22. Crescent Road (DA15)
  23. Sidcup Station / Station Road
  24. Old Farm Avenue
  25. Halfway St /Old Farm Road West
  26. Hollies Avenue
  27. Annandale Road
  28. Oaklands Avenue
  29. Marlborough Park Avenue
  30. The Oval
  31. Wellington Avenue /Blackfen Rd
  32. Wendover Way
  33. Bradenham Avenue
  34. Hook Lane / Westwood Lane
  35. Faraday Road (DA16)
  36. Bellegrove Rd / Churchfield Rd
  37. Ruskin Drive
  38. Welling Station
  39. Central Avenue/ Wickham Street
  40. Peregrine Court
  41. Chaucer Road (DA16)
  42. The Glenmore Arms
  43. Thornhill Avenue
  44. Kingsdale Road
  45. Bassant Street
  46. The Slade / Ravine Grove
  47. Plumstead Common Road
  48. Plumstead Common / The Ship
  49. Kirk Lane
  50. Trinity Church
  51. Herbert Road (SE18)
  52. Frederick Place
  53. Crescent Road (SE18)
  54. Burrage Road
  55. Beresford Sq /Woolwich Arsenal

When it runs

On weekdays there are 97 journeys from Hare Street to Orpington, with the first bus at 00:00 and the last at 23:45. Average gaps are about 15 minutes. In the other direction, the Orpington Bus Station to Woolwich service runs 92 times between 00:00 and 23:45, roughly every 16 minutes.

Weekend service runs 72 times towards Orpington and 69 towards Woolwich, at intervals of about 20 and 21 minutes. Times are the same as on weekdays, but the trip is noticeably quicker at weekends, taking 67 minutes instead of 86 towards Orpington, and 62 minutes instead of 77 in the other direction.

Timetable at a glance

DirectionDaysFirstLastJourneysEveryJourney time
Hare Street - Orpington Stationweekdays00:0023:4597~15 min86 min
Hare Street - Orpington Stationweekends00:0023:4572~20 min67 min
Orpington Bus Station - Beresford Sq /Woolwich Arsenalweekdays00:0023:4592~16 min77 min
Orpington Bus Station - Beresford Sq /Woolwich Arsenalweekends00:0023:4569~21 min62 min

Tips for passengers

Because the complete trip is long and gaps are around 15 to 20 minutes, check the timetable before you set off and build in a buffer if you have a time-sensitive appointment at either end. The route passes a number of suburban shopping centres, so it can be a useful way to reach the Walnuts Centre or Nugent Retail Park without changing. Allow for the gap at weekends, when buses run about every 20 minutes.

See also

Compare with the London Tram.

You may also need the London Bus 3.

First and last departures on the London Bus 4.

Weekday and weekend times for the London Bus 1.

Also in London: London Bus 2.

Nearby routes and routes sharing stops