Whiteley Village to Heathrow Airport

Journey Overview

Deep in the blissful retreat of Whiteley Village, this fascinating journey makes its steady venture towards the hustle and bustle of jumbo jets and the clicking of landing gear.

A tree-lined treat takes place before Walton-on-Thames appears, first by the railway station and then past The Heart shopping centre and over the River Thames with views of the marina below and Desborough Island in the distance. Then, the 555 straddles the River, past the quaint Red Lion pub and into Shepperton High Street with its melange of independent shops and bigger brands. Down Green Lane to Lower Sunbury, past the Flower Pot pub and The Three Fishes before the bus heads north to the bright lights of Sunbury Cross.

Continuing towards Ashford Common, on the left Spelthorne Sports Football Ground can be seen and before long, the bus is into Ashford, with more small specialist shops, combining with classic chains. Over the railway bridge and pretty soon the 555 finds its way past McDonalds on the left and the large reservoir. East Bedford then gives way to Heathrow Terminal 4 and the scenery becomes industrialised but with plenty of enthralling sightings of planes. It gets even more invigorating, as Hatton Cross approaches and a procession of aircraft on the flight path waiting to land appears, one after the other and with many veering just a few feet above the bus, much to the delight of plane spotters on the grass verge by the runway.

From Hatton Cross, the 555 winds its way past a big British Airways hangar and round the side of the runway to the northern perimeter. It’s then under the famous tunnel beneath the runway, and the bus pops its head out right in the main Airport Central Terminal alongside big double-deck buses, large coaches, taxis and much more! From the most serene of starts in sleepy Whiteley Village, this is as grand a denouement for a journey as it gets!

A Fab Day Out!

Breakfast at one of the many coffee shops in Walton-on-Thames is a great start to the day, as the first stop off if you are joining the journey at Whiteley Village or maybe if you are commencing in Walton. Browse round the boutique stores or take a walk by the river next to Walton Bridge, taking in the swans and ducks or maybe taking a walk eastwards up the River to the Anglers pub for a pint outside, watching the boats and rowers pass by. Then, onto the bus to Lower Sunbury and stop off for a drink at the Flower Pot or walk round the beautiful Walled Gardens or stroll along the Thames to Sunbury Lock, before heading back on board towards Heathrow.

It’s worth stopping off at Hatton Cross and maybe standing next to the tube station or beside the road and just watching for half an hour the regular flow of planes coming into land or taking off. You’ll be hard pushed anywhere apart from on a runway to get so close to such a range of aircraft and it’s gripping stuff! Then back on board for a trip to Heathrow Airport and maybe lunch at one of the many restaurants and just soaking up the hustle and bustle of this iconic aviation hub!