169 Chatham – Luton – Princes Park – Walderslade – Alexandra Hospital

The 169 is one of Nu-Venture's neighbourhood circulars from Chatham, threading up out of the Medway valley to the hillside communities that look down on the river. It begins at Chatham Waterfront Bus Station, with the Medway gleaming behind you and the rooftops of the old dockyard town stacked up the slope ahead.

Pulling away from Stop A2, the bus passes Upbury Way and starts the steady climb towards Luton. This is a working corner of Medway, terraces and corner shops rising in tight rows. The route works its way past Bank Street, Castle Road and Albany Road, calling at Luton Junior School and the well-known Hen and Chickens pub before pushing on up Upper Luton Road.

Beyond Hopewell Drive the landscape softens. The bus rolls into Lordswood along North Dane Way, where the post-war estates give way to greener verges and the long ridge of the North Downs opens up to the south. The 169 then dips into Princes Park, a quiet warren of closes named for ships and seaside towns: Devon Close, Ventnor Close, Ryde Close, Mermaid Close, Monarch Close, Illustrious Close. It is a patient, looping ride, calling at almost every turning, with glimpses between the houses of the wooded valley falling away towards Capstone.

Past Maundene School the bus climbs again into Walderslade, skirting Downland Walk and Peacock Rise before reaching the village centre. From here it threads along Tunbury Avenue and out to the edge of Walderslade Woods, the trees pressing close to the road. The route serves the stop opposite Alexandra Hospital, a useful link for staff, patients and visitors, before turning back through the estate.

The return leg retraces the same closes in reverse, dropping back through Princes Park and Lordswood to Luton, then down the long hill into Chatham. As the bus descends, the view opens out across the Medway towns: the spires of Rochester, the cranes of the old dockyard, and the river curling away towards the Isle of Grain. It pulls back into Chatham Waterfront with the town centre and the Pentagon shopping centre a short walk away.

It is not a long-distance scenic run, but the 169 is a proper local lifeline, and the climb out of Chatham offers some of the best rooftop views of the Medway you will find from a bus window.

The 169 is more of a neighbourhood lifeline than a tourist run, but paired with a wander around Chatham itself it makes for a genuinely interesting half day exploring the hillside above the Medway and the old town below.

Start at Chatham Waterfront Bus Station with a stroll along the riverside. The Sun Pier viewpoint gives a sweeping look across the Medway towards Rochester, and from here it is only a short walk to The Historic Dockyard Chatham, one of the most complete Georgian and Victorian dockyards in the world, with its covered slips, ropery and preserved warships including HMS Cavalier and the submarine Ocelot.

Hop on the 169 at Stop A2 and ride up through Luton. The climb itself is part of the fun, with the river dropping away behind. Alight near the Hen and Chickens for a glimpse of old Luton village, then continue on to Lordswood and Princes Park, where the wooded ridge of Capstone Farm Country Park sits just beyond the houses. Capstone is well worth a detour for its lake, woodland walks and the long grassy ridge with views back over the Medway.

Continuing on, the bus reaches Walderslade Village. The big draw here is Walderslade Woods, a tangle of beech, oak and sweet chestnut criss-crossed by paths, lovely in autumn when the leaves turn. The route also serves the stop opposite Alexandra Hospital, which is useful to know if you are visiting.

On the return leg, stay on through Princes Park and Lordswood, then drop back down into Chatham. Once back at the Waterfront, head into the town centre for lunch around the Pentagon and the High Street. Chatham has a strong line in independent cafes and bakeries, and there are plenty of pubs near the river.

Finish the day with a walk up to Fort Amherst, the Napoleonic-era fortress carved into the chalk above the dockyard, with tunnels, ramparts and superb views back across the river. From the ramparts you can pick out the very hillside the 169 climbed earlier, completing a satisfying loop of the Medway townscape.