281 Crawley to Lingfield via Copthorne, East Grinstead
Operated by Metrobus. First bus 06:15, last bus 19:58. 28 journeys on weekdays. Today, a Sunday: first 09:40, last 15:50. Fares: adult single £1.70 to £3.00 — more.
Wanted a different 281? 9 other bus routes are numbered 281 elsewhere in the UK — see every 281 bus timetable by area.
| Stop | 09:40 | 11:45 | 13:45 | 15:50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Trinity School (o/s) | · | · | · | · |
| St Wilfrid's School (o/s) | · | · | · | · |
| Station Way (Stop TB) | 09:40 | 11:45 | 13:45 | 15:50 |
| Three Bridges Station (Stop B) | 09:46 | 11:51 | 13:51 | 15:56 |
| Payne Way (opp) | 09:51 | 11:58 | 13:58 | 16:03 |
| Church (opp) | 09:56 | 12:03 | 14:03 | 16:08 |
| The Duke's Head (adj) | 09:59 | 12:06 | 14:06 | 16:11 |
| War Memorial (opp) | 10:01 | 12:09 | 14:09 | 16:14 |
| Royal Oak (adj) | 10:03 | 12:11 | 14:11 | 16:16 |
| Felbridge Hotel (adj) | 10:10 | 12:19 | 14:19 | 16:24 |
| Imberhorne Upper Grounds (at) | · | · | · | · |
| Imberhorne Lower School (o/s) | · | · | · | · |
| Kipling Way (adj) | 10:15 | 12:24 | 14:24 | 16:29 |
| East Grinstead Station (Stop A) | 10:19 | 12:28 | 14:28 | 16:33 |
| War Memorial (Stop H) | 10:23 | 12:33 | 14:33 | 16:38 |
| Harmans Mead (adj) | 10:27 | 12:37 | 14:37 | 16:42 |
| Queen Victoria Hospital (adj) | 10:32 | 12:42 | 14:42 | 16:47 |
| Stone Quarry Estate (NW-bound) | 10:33 | 12:43 | 14:43 | 16:48 |
| Stone Quarry Estate (SE-bound) | · | · | · | · |
| Church (adj) | · | · | · | · |
| Lingfield Railway Station (Stop A) | · | · | · | · |
Each column is one journey, headed by the time it sets off; one that finishes short of the usual end says where ("to …") — not every journey on this route runs the whole way. A · means that journey does not stop there. Times are shown at the route's main timing stops — buses serve all stops in between. Switch a table to All stops for every stop it calls at, or open a stop's own page for live departures there.
Fares on the 281
Adult single £1.70 to £3.00 · Child single £0.85 to £2.80
Adult single fare table, stage to stage
| £3.00 | Crawley Bus Station | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £3.00 | £1.80 | Three Bridges Stn | ||||||||||||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £1.80 | Wakehams Grn Garden Ctr | |||||||||||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £1.80 | Copthorne Village | ||||||||||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £1.80 | Dukes Head | |||||||||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.90 | Crawley Down | ||||||||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.20 | Cuttinglye Road | |||||||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.70 | £2.20 | Felbridge Sch/Nurs | ||||||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.70 | £2.20 | Felbridge Star/Hotel | |||||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.90 | £2.70 | £2.70 | Garden Wood/Upr Imberhorne | ||||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.90 | £2.70 | £2.70 | Lwr Imberhorne Sch | |||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | EG Stn Brooklands Way | ||||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £1.70 | East Grinstead Town Ctr | |||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | Worsted Farm/Sackville School | ||||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | Queen Victoria Hosp | |||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | Stone Quarry | ||||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | £2.70 | Sandhawes Hill | |||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.80 | £2.80 | £2.80 | £2.80 | £2.80 | £2.70 | Dormans Station Rd | ||
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.80 | £2.80 | £2.80 | £2.80 | £2.80 | £2.80 | £2.80 | Dormansland | |
| £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £3.00 | £2.90 | £2.90 | £2.90 | £2.90 | £2.90 | £2.90 | £2.90 | £2.30 | Lingfield (loop) |
Read along the row of the stage you travel to, to the column below the stage you board at; the first stage is Holy Trinity School.
Go-Ahead's published fares on the Bus Open Data Service, in force from 3 September 2026. A fare stage is a group of neighbouring stops that are priced the same. Fares change — check with Metrobus before you travel.
Tickets on the 281
Metrobus publishes singles on this route for adults, children and young people.
Adult Week · Child Week · Adult Single · Child Single · 16-20 Link Single · U16 Link Single
…and 2 more tickets on this route.
Ticket types come from Metrobus's own fares data on the Bus Open Data Service, last updated 3 September 2026. Prices for singles and returns are under Fares above; for the others, check with Metrobus.
Christmas & bank holidays
These dates are not the usual timetable for the day they fall on. They come from the operator’s published data, which for Christmas and New Year is often late or incomplete, so check with Metrobus before you travel. Everything above is an ordinary week.
Not published yet: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, 27 December, 28 December, 29 December, 30 December, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and 2 January. Operators often publish festive timetables only a few weeks ahead, so check again nearer the date.
- Christmas Eve — Thursday, 24 December 2026 towards Lingfield: 14 journeys, first 06:15 towards Crawley: 14 journeys, first 06:34
Route map
All stops on route 281
281 towards Lingfield
All 85 stops
- Holy Trinity School (o/s) Gossops Green
- St Wilfrid's School (o/s) Southgate
- Goffs Park (adj) Southgate
- Goffs Park Road (o/s 34) Southgate
- Sunningdale Court (adj) Southgate
- East Park (opp) Crawley
- Station Way (Stop TB) Crawley
- Rowan Close (opp) Crawley
- Artel Croft (adj) Three Bridges
- Jubilee Walk (opp) Three Bridges
- Three Bridges Station (Stop B) Three Bridges
- Worth Park Avenue (NE-bound) Pound Hill
- Ridley's Corner (E-bound) Pound Hill
- Blackheath (adj) Wakehams Green
- Garden Centre (adj) Wakehams Green
- Petrol Station (adj) Wakehams Green
- Payne Way (opp) Copthorne
- Langridge Way (adj) Copthorne
- Gibby Way (E-bound) Copthorne
- The Prince Albert (opp) Copthorne
- Village Hall (adj) Copthorne
- Church (opp) Copthorne
- Borers Close (adj) Copthorne
- Lashmere (adj) Copthorne
- Abergavenny Gardens (adj) Copthorne
- Cottage Place (opp) Copthorne
- The Duke's Head (adj) Copthorne
- Mascotte (adj) Crawley Down
- Sandy Lane (adj) Crawley Down
- Forge Garage (opp) Crawley Down
- War Memorial (opp) Crawley Down
- Sunnymead (S-bound) Crawley Down
- Royal Oak (adj) Crawley Down
- Burleigh Close (opp) Crawley Down
- Larches Way (opp) Crawley Down
- Tiltwood Drive (opp) Crawley Down
- Falcon Park (o/s) Crawley Down
- Cuttinglye Road (adj) Crawley Down
- Felbridge Nurseries (opp) Felbridge
- Rowplatt Lane (adj) Felbridge
- McIver Close (adj) Felbridge
- Felbridge School (o/s) Felbridge
- The Star Inn (before) Felbridge
- Felbridge Hotel (adj) East Grinstead
- Imberhorne Upper Grounds (at) East Grinstead
- Yew Lane (adj) East Grinstead
- Halsford Green (opp) East Grinstead
- Buckhurst Way (adj) East Grinstead
- Imberhorne Lower School (o/s) East Grinstead
- Fire Station (Stop T) East Grinstead
- Imberhorne Upper School (opp) East Grinstead
- Fairlawn Drive (opp) East Grinstead
- Heathcote Drive (after) East Grinstead
- Blount Avenue (adj) East Grinstead
- Kipling Way (adj) East Grinstead
- Railway Viaduct (after) East Grinstead
- Garden Wood Road (adj) East Grinstead
- Brooklands Way (Stop M) East Grinstead
- East Grinstead Station (Stop A) East Grinstead
- Broadway (Stop E) East Grinstead
- Whitehall (adj) East Grinstead
- War Memorial (Stop H) East Grinstead
- Sackville College (Stop K) East Grinstead
- Sackville School (o/s) East Grinstead
- Farm Close (opp) East Grinstead
- Harmans Mead (adj) East Grinstead
- Chestnut Close (opp) East Grinstead
- Court Crescent (adj) East Grinstead
- East Court (opp) East Grinstead
- Queen Victoria Hospital (adj) East Grinstead
- Turner Court (opp) East Grinstead
- Stone Quarry Estate (NW-bound) East Grinstead
- Copse Close (opp) East Grinstead
- Stone Quarry Estate (SE-bound) East Grinstead
- The Larches (adj) East Grinstead
- Wilderwick Farm (opp) Dormans Park
- The Approach (adj) Dormans Park
- Dormans Station Turning (adj) Dormansland
- Church (adj) Dormansland
- Memorial Hall (opp) Dormansland
- Swallowfield (adj) Dormansland
- St Pier's Lane (opp) Lingfield
- Lingfield Racecourse (o/s) Lingfield
- Station Road (opp) Lingfield
- Lingfield Railway Station (Stop A) Lingfield
281 towards Crawley
All 95 stops
- Lingfield Railway Station (Stop A) Lingfield
- Pauls Mead (adj) Lingfield
- Saxby's Lane (o/s 108) Lingfield
- Little Lullenden (adj) Lingfield
- The Star (adj) Lingfield
- War Memorial (W-bound) Lingfield
- Haxted Road (W-bound) Lingfield
- Meadowside (opp) Lingfield Common
- Godstone Road (SE-bound) Lingfield
- War Memorial (E-bound) Lingfield
- Station Road (adj) Lingfield
- Lingfield Racecourse (opp) Lingfield
- St Pier's Lane (adj) Lingfield
- Swallowfield (opp) Dormansland
- Memorial Hall (adj) Dormansland
- Church (opp) Dormansland
- Dormans Station Turning (opp) Dormansland
- The Approach (opp) Dormans Park
- Wilderwick Farm (adj) Dormans Park
- The Larches (opp) East Grinstead
- Copse Close (opp) East Grinstead
- Stone Quarry Estate (SE-bound) East Grinstead
- Turner Court (adj) East Grinstead
- Queen Victoria Hospital (opp) East Grinstead
- East Court (adj) East Grinstead
- Court Crescent (opp) East Grinstead
- Chestnut Close (adj) East Grinstead
- Harmans Mead (opp) East Grinstead
- Farm Close (adj) East Grinstead
- Herontye Drive (adj) East Grinstead
- Sackville School (opp) East Grinstead
- Sackville College (Stop L) East Grinstead
- War Memorial (Stop J) East Grinstead
- Whitehall (Stop P) East Grinstead
- Railway Approach (Stop D) East Grinstead
- East Grinstead Station (Stop A) East Grinstead
- Garland Road (Stop U) East Grinstead
- Imberhorne Lower School (o/s) East Grinstead
- Lingfield Road (opp) East Grinstead
- Gwynne Gardens (adj) East Grinstead
- Halsford Green (adj) East Grinstead
- Yew Lane (opp) East Grinstead
- Imberhorne Upper Grounds (at) East Grinstead
- Brooklands Way (Stop B) East Grinstead
- Garden Wood Road (opp) East Grinstead
- Railway Viaduct (just before) East Grinstead
- Kipling Way (opp) East Grinstead
- Blount Avenue (opp) East Grinstead
- Heathcote Drive (before) East Grinstead
- Fairlawn Drive (adj) East Grinstead
- Imberhorne Upper School (o/s) East Grinstead
- Felbridge Hotel (opp) East Grinstead
- The Star Inn (after) Felbridge
- Felbridge School (opp) Felbridge
- McIver Close (opp) Felbridge
- Rowplatt Lane (opp) Felbridge
- Felbridge Nurseries (o/s) Felbridge
- Cuttinglye Road (opp) Crawley Down
- Pasture Wood (adj) Crawley Down
- Tiltwood Drive (adj) Crawley Down
- Larches Way (adj) Crawley Down
- Royal Oak (opp) Crawley Down
- Sunnymead (N-bound) Crawley Down
- War Memorial (Stop F) Crawley Down
- Forge Garage (adj) Crawley Down
- Sandy Lane (opp) Crawley Down
- Mascotte (opp) Crawley Down
- The Duke's Head (W-bound) Copthorne
- Cottage Place (adj) Copthorne
- Abergavenny Gardens (opp) Copthorne
- Lashmere (opp) Copthorne
- Borers Close (opp) Copthorne
- Church (adj) Copthorne
- Village Hall (opp) Copthorne
- The Prince Albert (adj) Copthorne
- Gibby Way (S-bound) Copthorne
- Langridge Way (opp) Copthorne
- Payne Way (adj) Copthorne
- Petrol Station (opp) Wakehams Green
- Garden Centre (opp) Wakehams Green
- Ridley's Corner (W-bound) Pound Hill
- Worth Park Avenue (SW-bound) Pound Hill
- Three Bridges Station (Stop A) Three Bridges
- Jubilee Walk (adj) Three Bridges
- Artel Croft (opp) Three Bridges
- Rowan Close (adj) Crawley
- Bus Station (Stand E) Crawley
- East Park (adj) Crawley
- Sunningdale Court (opp) Southgate
- Goffs Park Road (o/s 33) Southgate
- Goffs Park (opp) Southgate
- St Wilfrid's School (o/s) Southgate
- Cheals Roundabout (SW-bound) Gossops Green
- Cheals Roundabout (NE-bound) Gossops Green
- Holy Trinity School (o/s) Gossops Green
Towns & areas on this route
Frequently asked questions
What time is the first 281 bus?
The first 281 departure on weekdays leaves at 06:15 (check the full timetable below for your stop, as times vary along the route — weekend times can differ).
What time is the last 281 bus?
The last 281 on weekdays leaves its first stop at 19:58. Always check the timetable for your specific stop — later stops are reached after this time.
How much does the 281 bus cost?
Metrobus's published fares on the 281: adult single £1.70 to £3.00, child single £0.85 to £2.80. The 281 is confirmed by GOV.UK as part of the national fare cap, so a single costs at most £3 until 31 December 2026, then £2 from 1 January 2027. Metrobus day and weekly tickets can work out cheaper if you travel more than twice a day.
Who runs the 281 bus?
The 281 is operated by Metrobus.
Timetable data from Metrobus via the DfT Bus Open Data Service (South East England feed). Check before you travel — services can change at short notice.