Visit Epsom Places

Welcome to Visit Epsom Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Epsom

  

Epsom Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Epsom

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Epsom history

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Early history

The earliest evidence of human activity in Epsom is from the mid-Bronze Age . Remains of pits, ditches and post holes in Long Grove Road indicate that the area north of the town centre was used for agriculture in prehistoric times . Pottery sherds and worked flints show that human activity continued into the early Iron Age .

Governance

Epsom was held by Chertsey Abbey from Anglo-Saxon times until the 16th century . The earliest surviving charter confirming the ownership of the town is from 967 . The settlement is thought to have been granted to the abbey in 727 .

Epsom spa

By tradition, the discovery of spa water is attributed to Henry Wicker, a farmer who noticed that his cows refused to drink from a slow spring on Epsom Common . In 1603, local physicians had noted that the local water contained “bitter purging salt”

Horse racing

The earliest horse races on Epsom Downs are thought to have been held in the early 17th century . In May 1648, royalist forces were able to assemble on the Downs under the pretence of organising a race . Following the Restoration of the monarchy, Epsom became established as a spa town .

Transport and communications

Stane Street to the west of the modern town centre remained in use through the Anglo-Saxon period . The section of the Roman road to the south of Epsom is thought to have been blocked by the enclosure of Woodcote Park in the 12th century . Visitors to the spa were able to reach Epsom by carriage during the 17th century, although the turnpikes to London and Horsham were not constructed until 1755 .

Residential development

Epsom is unusual among Surrey towns, in that it underwent considerable expansion during the early modern period . As the spa developed in the 1670s, merchants from London started to construct their own mansions on the outskirts of the town .

Commerce and industry

From much of its early history, Epsom was primarily an agricultural settlement . The two common fields attached to the medieval manor, Woodcote (350 acres (140 ha) and Smith Hatch (500 acres (200 ha) were divided into strips . In the 15th century, sheep farming became increasingly important and a wool fair was held in June each year until the 1870s .

Epsom in the world wars

Two battalions of the University and Public Schools Brigade of the Royal Fusiliers were billeted in the town . Some of the racecourse buildings were converted to become a war hospital . 20,000 soldiers were assembled on the Downs for an inspection by Lord Kitchener .

Epsom culture & places

Literature

Epsom Wells is one of a series of plays set in English spa towns . It received its first performance in 1673 at the Duke’s Theatre in London . A revival of the play in the 1690s included new incidental music by the composer Henry Purcell .

Music

Epsom Choral Society was founded in 1922 by the publisher Humphrey Milford . His son, the composer Robin Milford was the first conductor . The choir has commissioned works from the British composers Cecilia McDowall and Jonathan Willcocks .

Paintings

John Constable (1776–1837) visited Epsom regularly between 1806 and 1812 . His works include View at Epsom (1809), held by The Tate . The gallery also owns paintings of horse racing taking place on the Downs, including works by Alfred Munnings (1878–1959) and William Powell Frith .

Public art

A statuette by the Australian sculptor Tom Merrifield was erected outside the Playhouse in 1999 . It depicts John Gilpin performing the title role of Le Spectre de la rose from the ballet by Jean-Louis Vaudoyer .

Theatre

Epsom Playhouse opened in 1984 as part of The Ashley Centre development . Main auditorium seats a maximum of 450 . Myers Studio is suited to smaller-scale drama, comedy and jazz performances .

Epsom toponymy

The first written record of a settlement at Epsom dates from the 10th century. It appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Evesham and in subsequent surviving documents as Ebbesham and Ebesam. First known use of the modern spelling Epsom is from 1718.

Epsom geography / climate

Location and topography

Epsom is a town in north Surrey, approximately 24 km (15 mi) south of central London . It lies on the southern edge of the London Basin and the highest point in the parish at Epsom Downs is 155 m (509 ft) above ordnance datum . The High Street defines the main west-east axis of the town .

Geology

The areas to the south and east of the town lie on the chalk of the North Downs and the centre, north and west are on the London Clay . Separating the two, and running in parallel bands along a north-south axis, are narrow outcrops of Thanet Sands and Lambeth Group .

You can visit Epsom places with Walkfo Epsom to hear history at Epsom’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Epsom has 76 places to visit in our interactive Epsom map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Epsom, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Epsom places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Epsom & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 76 audio facts unique to Epsom places in an interactive Epsom map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Epsom Places Map
76 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Epsom historic spots	Epsom tourist destinations	Epsom plaques	Epsom geographic features
Walkfo Epsom tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Epsom

  

Best Epsom places to visit

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Epsom has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Epsom’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Epsom’s information audio spots:

Nonsuch Palace Nonsuch Palace was a Tudor royal palace built by Henry VIII in 1538 . It stood from 1538 to 1682–83 . Its site lies in what is now Nonsuch Park on the boundaries of the borough of Epsom and Ewell .

St Martin of Tours church, Epsom St Martin of Tours church, Epsom is a Grade II* listed building, number 1028592, in Church Street, Surrey, KT17 4PX .

Epsom Cluster Epsom Cluster, also referred to as the Horton Estate, was a cluster or group of five large psychiatric hospitals situated on land to the west of Epsom .

Woodcote Park Woodcote Park is a stately home near Epsom, Surrey, England, owned by the Royal Automobile Club . It was formerly the seat of a number of prominent English families, including the Calvert family, Barons Baltimore and Lords Proprietor of the colony of Maryland . The interior of the house once boasted a gilded library and number of fine murals by notable Italian artists .

St Mary’s Church, Ewell The Anglican Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ewell is the civic church of the borough of Epsom and Ewell in the county of Surrey in South East England.

Visit Epsom plaques