(28 Jul 2022, 11:32 pm)R852 PRG wrote These routes were, until the early 2000s, operated from Chester using Metroriders and later the early Solos. The routes have since been operated by Classic and more recently by Scarlet Band at tender, and have now once again been operated by Go North East for a few years. Prior to their reacquisition, they were numbered 810-813 inclusive. There was at one point also the 814 to Sevenacres (an estate in Lumley) and 815 to Woodstone Village which seemingly operated hourly from Chester-le-Street, interworking using one bus. Both of these are today covered by the 71 and 78, although it seems by 1996, the 815 ran from Woodstone to Concord, an hours journey time each way with a PVR of 2.

The 739/740 operated with a PVR of 2 in vice-versa fashion. The loop went from South Burns to Grange Villa through Pelton Fell, up Bluehouse Bank and past Hett Hills, turning right into Grange Villa - essentially the route the 28 takes today - and then right again onto Pelton Lane towards Newfield; it then turned right at Roseberry Primary School and made its way down Burnthouse Bank where it reconnected with Pelton Fell Road at the bottom junction, heading back to the town centre. The 740 followed this route as I have described it above, while the 739 did the inverse; there was no other frequent service that connected Pelton Fell with Chester-le-Street, so those living there would use the inbound 739 to get to Chester as fast as possible, and then the 740 outbound to get back. The only aspects of the 739/740 which are really covered today by the 703 is the traversing of Burnthouse Bank as far as Station Lane on the outbound run and from Newfield on the inbound. I donated a 1997 timetable for the 739/740 from my collection for PDF conversion for the Bygone Era some years ago, if you wish to see how it compares: https://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/bygone/item.php?id=577

The 700 to Hilda Park - formerly the 810 - follows the exact same route it has taken since at least July 1989. At this point, the 810 operated at a fifteen minute frequency with a PVR of 1. Its terminus point was at one point given as Briarhill which is the name of a street on the Hilda Park Estate, although in the years since this has changed to simply Hilda Park. Unfortunately, this is about as simple as it gets. 

The 701 to Waldridge is cobbled together from aspects of the old 813. In 1989, the 811 operated with a PVR of 2 at a twelve minute frequency. It went to Waldridge roundabout through Grasmere Road (the main road through the Garden Farm Estate) and then came directly back on itself; today, this is covered in it entirety - one-way, inbound - with the 34. The 812, which operated via Second Avenue and then looped back via The Crescent in a hail and ride fashion, is also covered today by the 34. At this same time, the 813 - which appears to have interworked with the 812 - operated at a fifteen minute frequency, alternating half hourly between Wynyard (a nearby area of the same estate as Gibside, where the 701 reverses today) and Waldridge roundabout, getting to Whitehill Way via Pelton Fell Road. The present day 701 covers areas of the Deneside View estate which was not constructed until the 1990s. 

The 702 to North Lodge Estate covers part of the former 730 service, which was DCC-secured and operated half-hourly inversely from the town centre; it went up Newcastle Road much like the 21 and 25 do today, then turned left at Northlands roundabout and travelled up the A693 (still referred to locally as the 'new road') to Perkinsville, then Urpeth Grange - the 34 today operates in a one-way loop through Ouston/Urpeth Grange, the 730 utilised the bus stops on the other side of the road in Urpeth Grange which have not been used in many years - onto Station Lane into Birtley, then back to Chester via Barley Mow and a loop round North Lodge.  Although the 730 operated in the inverse half-hourly much like the 739/740 did every fifteen minutes, it operated under the one service number.