Chalkwell Coaches is a bus and coach tour operator in
Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...
,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
.
History
Chalkwell Coaches was founded in 1931 by Harry Eglington as Island Luxury Coaches. In April 1931 a short lived
Sheerness to
Stoke Newington service began. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
all seven coaches were requisitioned. In 1969, the business was taken over by Eglington's son Clyde.
["Fleet in Focus: Chalkwell Garage & Coach Hire" '' Buses'' issue 710 May 2014 page 81]
In 1987, Chalkwell commenced its first local bus service from
Doddington to
Faversham
Faversham is a market town in Kent, England, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2, which follows an ancient Briti ...
. In 1990, it commenced operating services under contract to
Kent County Council. In 1992, Chalkwell commenced operating
day tour program.
[
In 1993, Downsway Coaches of ]Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...
was acquired.[ In July 1993, it commenced operating commuter services from ]Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...
to Central London.
On 12 July 2021, Chalkwell took over the operations of routes 360, 361 and 367 in Sheerness as a result of Arriva Southern Counties closing their depot in the town and handing the routes back to Kent County Council.
On 12 February 2023, most of the company's rural services in Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...
, as well as the Sunday services in Sheerness were withdrawn as a result of funding for the routes being withdrawn by Kent County Council.
Services
As of February 2023, Chalkwell operate seven local bus services in the Swale
Swale or Swales may refer to:
Topography
* Swale (landform), a low tract of land
** Bioswale, landform designed to remove silt and pollution
** Swales, found in the formation of Hummocky cross-stratification
Geography
* River Swale, in North ...
area, centred around the towns of Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...
and Sheerness. The company also operates a number of school services in both areas.
Chalkwell currently operate the following services (excluding school services):
Chalkwell Coaches operated commuter coach routes 780, 781, 782 and 784 from Bearsted
Bearsted ( , ) is a village and civil parish with railway station in mid-Kent, England, two miles (3.2 km) east of Maidstone town centre.
Geography
The village was historically concentrated around Church Lane and The Green which includes ...
and Kings Hill
Kings Hill is a civil parish in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is one of several new villages built in Kent since the 1950s (other examples including Vigo and New Ash Green). Development started in 1989 near West Mall ...
to the Tate Britain
Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...
in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
until May 2017 when the routes were withdrawn.Chalkwell exits the Kent-London commuter market
''Route One'' 4 May 2017
Fleet
As at May 2014, the fleet comprised 76 vehicles.[
]
References
External links
*
Company website
{{Bus companies in South East England, state=collapsed
Transport companies established in 1931
Transport in Kent
1931 establishments in England