Public Transport for Ashingdon Parish
GETTING ABOUT
We hope that many of you will go on foot or by bicycle to get about our Parish and to neighbouring parishes. Walking and cycling are good for your health and they reduce road congestion, air pollution and noise. There are many pavements and footpaths for walkers; and, in addition to cycling along roads, we hope to add routes where cyclists can ride safely. For journeys not practical on foot or by bike, we list the other modes of transport :
BUS
Arriva Buses run regular No. 7 services every day along Ashingdon Road and Greensward Lane between Shoeburyness, Southend on Sea, Rochford, through East Hawkwell, Ashingdon, Hockley and finally to Rayleigh - Rail Station, then return. There are 15 bus stops in Ashingdon Parish and another 5 on the Hawkwell side of the main road serving Ashingdon and 2 more in Hockley within yards of the Ashingdon Parish boundary. Arriva Southend, Telephone 0844 800 4411.
Arriva Buses run regular No. 8 services every day along Rectory Road and Ashingdon Road to and from Rochford for the service between Shoeburyness, Southend on Sea, Rochford, Hawkwell, Hockley and finally to Rayleigh, then return. The No. 8 service runs as near as one eigth of a mile in 2 places and half a mile of the next nearest Ashingdon residents and up to about 1 mile from the heart of the Ashingdon village. Ashingdon parishioners can use the No.8 : Near Golden Cross; In Rectory Road near Harewood Avenue; In Rectory Road from Rectory Avenue via the footpath from Devon Gardens opposite Jewsons; At Spa Road and Station Road in Hockley. Arriva Southend, Telephone 0844 800 4411.
Areas with no regular daily public transport passing through are : South Fambridge, Canewdon Road, Brays Lane, Hyde Wood Lane, Lower Road, Rectory Avenue and their side roads.
A once per week bus service runs from Canewdon through Ashingdon, Lower Road, past Hullbridge to Rayleigh.
TRAVELINE - This is a public transport Info service from The Essex County Council 7 days per week from 7am to 10pm, providing bus and train service details and times. Tell them your postcode and where you want to go for details on routes and times.
Telephone 0871 200 2233, or online www.traveline.info
BUS PASS - The "concessionary bus pass" is a photo pass issued by Rochford District Council which permits free bus travel within the county of Essex including Southend on Sea and Thurrock on services after 9.00am. Eligibility for the concessionary bus pass is that the holder must be at least 60 years age, or must be eligible disabled.
From 1st April 2008, the pass will permit free bus travel anywhere in England for "local bus service" journeys starting after 9.30am until 11.00pm on Monday to Friday and at any time on weekends and public holidays. The concessions do not apply for long distance bus or coach services, nor for rail, underground, trams and urban metro services.
Telephone 01702 318189, or online www.rochford.gov.uk
SHOPPING BUSES - A once per week free service is provided from Ashingdon and back by some supermarkets, including ASDA.
SCHOOL BUSES - A number of Essex County Council contract bus services run through Ashingdon during term times on routes not served by the No.7 bus to take school-children to and from some schools.
AIRPORT BUS SERVICES - The X30 Service runs 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, every hour, on the hour and at certain busy times every half hour from both Southend on Sea and from Stansted Airport. It starts in Chichester Road, Southend on Sea and runs via Kent Elms, Rayleigh Rail Station, Chelmsford Bus Station, Barnston (for Great Dunmow) to Stansted Airport and vice versa. The journey takes about 1 hour 30 minutes each way. Firstgroup, Telephone 01268 525251
From Stansted Airport it is possible to connect with coach services throughout the UK on National Express, Telephone 0870 574 7777.
From Stansted there are direct train services as far as Birmingham. This train service connects London Stansted with Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Leicester and Birmingham. It is possible to connect at Peterborough for trains to Leeds, York, Newcastle and Scotland; And to connect at Leicester for trains to Derby and Sheffield. CrossCountry Trains, Telephone 0844 811 0124.
NATIONAL BUS SERVICES - TO LONDON
There are weekday services to London Monday to Friday on the X10 service from Rochford via Southend, Hadleigh, Pitsea, Dagenham, Canary Wharf, The City to London Victoria Coach Station linking with nationwide and international services. Two buses each way : From Rochford at 0600, from Southend at 0614, arriving at Victoria 0820; From Rochford at 0635, from Southend at 0649, arriving at Victoria 0854. The return journeys : leave Victoria at 1650 arriving at Rochford at 1856; And, leave Victoria at 1730 arriving at Rochford at 1930. Stephensons, Telephone 01702 541511.
NATIONAL BUS SERVICES - TO LIVERPOOL
There is a cross-country NX305 service from Southend to Liverpool by National Express which runs every day from Southend on Sea via Basildon, Chelmsford, Cambridge, Bedford, Northampton, Coventry, Birmingham (Airport and City), Newcastle under Lyme, Warrington then to Liverpool. It leaves Southend on Sea daily 7 days per week at 0845 and arrives at Birmingham by 1535 and at Liverpool by 1935. The return journey leaves Liverpool at 0900 and arrives at Birmingham at 1245 and at Southend by 1935. Telephone 08717 818181 or online www.nationalexpress.com
CAR
The Essex County Council provides a network for a car sharing scheme for people making journeys at regular routes and times, so that they can save money, get there quicker, reduce congestion, reduce vehicle pollution and go with someone else.
Ashingdon and South Fambridge are villages in a rural area. The No 7 bus services run at frequent regular intervals from early morning to late evening with fewer services on Sundays & Public Holidays. They run along defined routes from Rayleigh via Hockley through Ashingdon to Rochford, Southend on Sea to Shoeburyness. Outside those hours, there are no bus services. Also, there are no bus services to South Fambridge and to other areas of our Parish.
Many parishioners have to make journeys by car at times, to destinations and in circumstances which are not possible, not practical nor readily available by bus. For those journeys, a car is essential – for you and for others making the same trips at the same times.
When the journeys are at regular times and to regular origins and destinations, it may be possible to arrange for car sharing with other people making similar journeys. It is often called “Liftshare”, or ECC call it “TravelBUDi”. ECC uses this service for their employees and so do many other institutions in the County such as some district councils, the universities, Essex & Suffolk Water, NHS trusts, etc.
To get details on how it is done and to register for car sharing, check details at :
Online : www.essextravelbudi.com Email : travelplanteam@essexcc.gov.uk
By telephone - Register on : 0845 603 7631
Online : www.liftshare.org Email : info@liftshare.com
By telephone - Register on : 08700 780225; Book a trip on : 08700 111199
RAIL
The nearest Railway Stations are at Rochford and Hockley, both 2 miles (3 km) away from the top of Ashingdon village. They provide regular services every day to Southend on Sea - Victoria; and to London - Liverpool Street or further afield by changing trains at Wickford, Shenfield, Romford, Stratford and London - Liverpool Street. The distances by road to Hockley Station are much shorter for pedestrians using Footpaths: 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 15, 16, 17, 21 and Beckney Wood routes.
Another railway line known as “The Crouch Valley Line” can be seen from Ashingdon. That is the Wickford to Burnham on Crouch and Southminster Line on the other side of the River Crouch, less than two miles away. In days gone by, long ago, a ferry used to cross the River Crouch to take passengers to and from North Fambridge village and gave access to its railway station.
COMMUNITY TRANSPORT
Ashingdon Parish Council pays annual contributions to a local community transport charity which serves Ashingdon and nearby communities. The Wyvern District Community Transport operates two minibuses with wheelchair access lifts. They mostly operate on call and by prior booking for the benefit of needy parishioners. Telephone 01702 544551.
TAXI
Taxi services are available locally from : Rochford Town and Station, from Ashingdon and from Hockley Town and Station. Andrews Taxis - Telephone 01702 200200; Apex Cars - Telephone 01702 531222.
MINIBUS AND AIRPORT CARS
Minibus transport and airport transport are available locally from :
Advance Minibuses, Telephone 01702 207000
Alans Airport Taxis, Telephone 01702 541911
Blueline Travel, Telephone 0844 800 0061
COACH
If you need to hire a coach for an outing, there are several local coach hire firms. The nearest are in Canewdon, in Hockley and in Rochford, with more in Rayleigh and Southend on Sea. The main coach hire firms are :
Amber Coaches, Rawreth Industrial Estate, Rayleigh. Tel. 01268 786550
BJS Travel, 61a High Street, Great Wakering. Tel. 01702 219403
Blue Line Travel, Scaldhurst Farm, Canewdon. Tel. 01702 258118
Cooks Coaches, 607 London Road, Westcliff on Sea. Tel. 01702 344702
Crest Coaches, 1 Dalys Road, Rochford. Tel. 01702 543663
Kirby’s Coaches, 2 Princess Road, Rayleigh. Tel. 01268 777777
Matthews Travel, 15 Fountain Lane, Hockley. Tel. 01702 207090
SBC Leisure, 39 Hillside Road, Eastwood. Tel. 01702 522317
Stephensons, Riverside Estate, Rochford. Tel. 01702 541511
Supreme Coaches, Stock Road, Southend on Sea. Tel. 01702 440230
AIR
SOUTHEND AIRPORT is 3 miles away from the heart of Ashingdon for those flying from there. It takes as little as 10 minutes to drive there. Quick check-in and baggage claim times and very affordable parking are the benefits of flying from Southend Airport.
STANSTED AIRPORT is 40 miles away from the heart of Ashingdon for those flying from there. It takes on average 50 to 60 minutes to drive there via Chelmsford. Quicker check-in and baggage claim times and cheaper parking costs than Heathrow and Gatwick are the benefits of flying from Stansted Airport.
LONDON CITY AIRPORT is 30 miles away from the heart of Ashingdon for those flying from there. It takes on average 40 to 60 minutes to drive there via the A13. Quicker check-in and baggage claim times and cheaper parking costs than Heathrow and Gatwick are the benefits of flying from City Airport.
Ashingdon Parish Council pays annual contributions to the Essex Air Ambulance charity which operates a helicopter from Boreham Airfield near Chelmsford for the rapid medical attendance and transport of accident victims and emergency patients.
