london routemistress

Discovering the lesser-known parts of London by bus

London by (Bus) Numbers

Discover previous little-known areas of London by bus

Important to note: All the places I visit are free of charge to the public

Hi to you all!

My name is Helen Lewis aka London Routemistress. At the end of 2021, I decided I needed some adventure back in my life and owing to Covid restrictions, couldn’t easily travel abroad. So my thoughts came nearer to home – and I decided to explore the London I live in (but wasn’t brought up in) and have come to love. So what’s the best way to travel around the city? By bus if you want to see the “real” London …. so I made up my mind to start at number 1 (New Oxford Street to Canada Water) and find the not-so-well-known parts of the capital over the coming weeks, months and hopefully years.

At first I thought I’d just do part of each route and did exactly that for numbers 1 and 2. I then realised that in order to be true to what I was hoping to achieve – exploring the whole of London – I had to start at the beginning of each route and end at the terminus. This has meant that at times, it’s taken me up to an hour and a half just to reach the start of the route but it’s definitely been worth it.

The way I’m doing it is this:

Every weekend I research the bus route that I will do the next Monday, this being the day I’ve set aside to travel. The idea is to get on and off the bus at specific pre-assigned/designated stops in order to visit places of interest, that are little- or even not- known to the majority of people.

I visit between 4 and 6 places, and they will vary according to the route. Sometimes I will see memorials, historic buildings, museums, cemeteries, parks and gardens. I generally don’t pay to enter places, mainly because I don’t stay long enough to justify an entrance fee. I make a note of anywhere I think deserves a follow-up visit for which I’d be happy to pay.

So join me in my London adventure and explore the city with me – either here by reading my weekly blog, or find me at the start of the next London bus route.

Remains of the Manor House of Edward III at Rotherhithe (Bus Route C10)

  • Bus route 157

    1. Crystal Palace bus station bus stop Before getting on the bus, walk round to see a couple of things within the vicinity of Crystal Palace Park. It’s currently (November 2025) undergoing renovation, but it’s still possible to see various places. First of all, head towards the Iron Column that was from the original Great…

  • Bus route 156

    1. Wimbledon station bus stop Near the bus stop is the Prince of Wales pub which dates back to the 1860s and was built during a period of expansion in the area. It was probably named after Victoria and Albert’s oldest son, who later became Edward VII. The pub was famously renamed the Princess of…

  • Bus route 155

    1. Nutwell Street bus stop A pleasant start to the 155 is to walk 5 minutes from the bus stop and see figurative heads of Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday, depicted on the front of a corner property called Norfolk House. Research into why them and why here reveals that Daniel Defoe – author of…

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