Brighton & Hove Bus Regency Route
Encyclopedia
The Regency Route is a name given since 1977 to a regular bus service between Brighton
in East Sussex and Tunbridge Wells in Kent, both towns with a Regency
heritage. The route runs via the East Sussex towns of Lewes
, Uckfield
and Crowborough
.
The Brighton—Tunbridge Wells route is one of few successful examples of bustitution
, as it replaced through trains from Brighton via Lewes and Uckfield to Tunbridge Wells withdrawn in the 1960s when the railway lines from Lewes to Uckfield and Eridge to Tunbridge Wells were closed by British Railways. The bus route now provides access to the Lavender Line
and the Spa Valley Railway
preserved railways which run on lengths of those two railways. The journey from end to end is timed at between 1¾ and 2 hours.
Originally operated jointly by Southdown Brighton & Hove (now Brighton & Hove), Southdown East Sussex (now Stagecoach
), and Maidstone & District (now Arriva
), the service is now operated solely by Brighton & Hove. Since April 2011, Brighton & Hove has used the Regency Route branding for the Route 28 service from Brighton to Lewes
and Ringmer
as well as the 29.
The 28 to Ringmer running frequency of 30 minutes.
Further 28 journeys to Lewes only making six buses an hour Brighton—Lewes.
and Ringmer
with some evening services continuing to Uckfield
via Halland
and one bus per two hours on a Sunday between Brighton and Tunbridge Wells via Ringmer and Halland.
, Isfield
, Uckfield
, Crowborough
and Eridge Green
running at a frequency of 1 bus per hour. Running along the A27 road
between Brighton and Lewes and the A26 road
between Lewes and Tunbridge Wells.
, Uckfield
, Whitehill
, Crowborough
and Eridge Green
running at a frequency of 1 bus per hour. Running along the A27 road
and A26 road
.
before heading to Isfield
and rejoining the normal weekday route of the 29A. This services runs at a frequency of 1 bus per two hours along with the service 28 making an hourly service between Brighton and Tunbridge Wells
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in East Sussex and Tunbridge Wells in Kent, both towns with a Regency
Regency architecture
The Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...
heritage. The route runs via the East Sussex towns of Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
, Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
and Crowborough
Crowborough
The highest point in the town is 242 metres above sea level. This summit is the highest point of the High Weald and second highest point in East Sussex . Its relative height is 159 m, meaning Crowborough qualifies as one of England's Marilyns...
.
The Brighton—Tunbridge Wells route is one of few successful examples of bustitution
Bustitution
The word bustitution is a neologism sometimes used to describe the practice of replacing a passenger train service with a bus service either on a temporary or permanent basis. The word is a portmanteau of the words "bus" and "substitution"...
, as it replaced through trains from Brighton via Lewes and Uckfield to Tunbridge Wells withdrawn in the 1960s when the railway lines from Lewes to Uckfield and Eridge to Tunbridge Wells were closed by British Railways. The bus route now provides access to the Lavender Line
Lavender Line
The Lavender Line is an informal name for a heritage railway based at Isfield Station, near Uckfield in East Sussex.- History :The Lavender Line formed part of the Lewes to Uckfield Railway when it was opened on the 18 October 1858...
and the Spa Valley Railway
Spa Valley Railway
The Spa Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway that runs between Tunbridge Wells, High Rocks, Groombridge, and Eridge railway station, where it links with the Oxted Line. En route it crosses the Kent and East Sussex border, a distance of 5 miles , along the former Three Bridges to...
preserved railways which run on lengths of those two railways. The journey from end to end is timed at between 1¾ and 2 hours.
Originally operated jointly by Southdown Brighton & Hove (now Brighton & Hove), Southdown East Sussex (now Stagecoach
Stagecoach in East Sussex
Stagecoach in East Sussex are the brand that Stagecoach in Eastbourne and Stagecoach in Hastings operate under.-Routes:Routes in the East Sussex division include:*7: Circular service in Hastings via town centre and Baldslow Road...
), and Maidstone & District (now Arriva
Arriva Southern Counties
Arriva Southern Counties is a bus operator in London, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent and Essex in England. It is a regional division of Arriva.- History :...
), the service is now operated solely by Brighton & Hove. Since April 2011, Brighton & Hove has used the Regency Route branding for the Route 28 service from Brighton to Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
and Ringmer
Ringmer
Ringmer is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is located three miles east of Lewes. Other small settlements in the parish include Upper Wellingham, Ashton Green, Broyle Side and Little Norlington....
as well as the 29.
History
- 1977 - The route number 729 and Regency Route name were introduced by Southdown Motor ServicesSouthdown Motor ServicesSouthdown Motor Services Ltd operates bus and coach services in East and West Sussex and parts of Hampshire, in southern England. It was formed in 1915 and had various owners throughout its history, being purchased by the National Bus Company in 1969...
operating between BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and Tunbridge Wells, a joint operation with Maidstone & District Motor Services. Service 28 was a shortened variant of the 128/728 route to Eastbourne, running as far as Ringmer.
- 1 January 1986 - Formation of Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company from the Brighton operations of SouthdownSouthdown Motor ServicesSouthdown Motor Services Ltd operates bus and coach services in East and West Sussex and parts of Hampshire, in southern England. It was formed in 1915 and had various owners throughout its history, being purchased by the National Bus Company in 1969...
. The route remained a joint operation with Southdown (from its Lewes depot) and Maidstone & District.
- 1998 - Maidstone & District acquired by ArrivaArrivaArriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
to form Arriva Kent & East Sussex
- 26 September 2004 - 729 re-numbered to 29.
- 25 September 2005 - Stagecoach and Arriva withdraw from joint service. Route entirely Brighton & Hove.
- 17 April 2011 - 28 and 29 both branded as Regency routes; combined 10-minute frequency between Brighton and Lewes.
Present
The 29 and 29A combined operated at a frequency of 30 minutes.The 28 to Ringmer running frequency of 30 minutes.
Further 28 journeys to Lewes only making six buses an hour Brighton—Lewes.
28 Brighton - Ringmer Broyle Estate
This service currently serves LewesLewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
and Ringmer
Ringmer
Ringmer is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is located three miles east of Lewes. Other small settlements in the parish include Upper Wellingham, Ashton Green, Broyle Side and Little Norlington....
with some evening services continuing to Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
via Halland
Halland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
and one bus per two hours on a Sunday between Brighton and Tunbridge Wells via Ringmer and Halland.
29 Brighton - Tunbridge Wells via Isfield
The service currently serves LewesLewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
, Isfield
Isfield
Isfield is a small village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex in England, located north-north-west of Lewes.-History:The village of Isfield originally grew adjacent to the ford where the London to Lewes Way Roman road crossed the river River Ouse...
, Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
, Crowborough
Crowborough
The highest point in the town is 242 metres above sea level. This summit is the highest point of the High Weald and second highest point in East Sussex . Its relative height is 159 m, meaning Crowborough qualifies as one of England's Marilyns...
and Eridge Green
Eridge Green
Eridge Green is an 8.4 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, located in East Sussex, England. The site was notified in 1985 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and currently maintains a woodland area within the site....
running at a frequency of 1 bus per hour. Running along the A27 road
A27 road
The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
between Brighton and Lewes and the A26 road
A26 road
For the road in Northern Ireland see A26 road The A26 road is one of the three cross-country two-digit numbered roads in the southeast of England, the others being the A25 road and A27 road. It carries traffic from Maidstone in Kent in a generally south-westerly direction to Tunbridge Wells and...
between Lewes and Tunbridge Wells.
29A Brighton - Tunbridge Wells via Whitehill
The service currently serves LewesLewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
, Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
, Whitehill
Whitehill
Whitehill is a family surname, appearing both in literature and in historical references.-Whitehills in literature:As fictional family, the Whitehills are featured in the short stories of Brazilian writer Rita Maria Felix da Silva....
, Crowborough
Crowborough
The highest point in the town is 242 metres above sea level. This summit is the highest point of the High Weald and second highest point in East Sussex . Its relative height is 159 m, meaning Crowborough qualifies as one of England's Marilyns...
and Eridge Green
Eridge Green
Eridge Green is an 8.4 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, located in East Sussex, England. The site was notified in 1985 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and currently maintains a woodland area within the site....
running at a frequency of 1 bus per hour. Running along the A27 road
A27 road
The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
and A26 road
A26 road
For the road in Northern Ireland see A26 road The A26 road is one of the three cross-country two-digit numbered roads in the southeast of England, the others being the A25 road and A27 road. It carries traffic from Maidstone in Kent in a generally south-westerly direction to Tunbridge Wells and...
.
29B Brighton - Tunbridge Wells via Ringmer and Whitehill
This service only operates on a Sunday, the route is different between Lewes and Uckfield serving the village of RingmerRingmer
Ringmer is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is located three miles east of Lewes. Other small settlements in the parish include Upper Wellingham, Ashton Green, Broyle Side and Little Norlington....
before heading to Isfield
Isfield
Isfield is a small village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex in England, located north-north-west of Lewes.-History:The village of Isfield originally grew adjacent to the ford where the London to Lewes Way Roman road crossed the river River Ouse...
and rejoining the normal weekday route of the 29A. This services runs at a frequency of 1 bus per two hours along with the service 28 making an hourly service between Brighton and Tunbridge Wells