35 Facts About Epsom

Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about 13.

The popularity of Epsom grew as The Oaks and The Derby were established in 1779 and 1780 respectively.

Today Epsom station is an important railway junction, where lines to London Victoria and London Waterloo diverge.

Name "Epsom" is thought to derive from that of a Saxon landowner, either as Ebba's ham or Ebbi's ham .

Anglo-Saxon settlement at Epsom was most likely established in the late 6th or early 7th century.

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Epsom was held by Chertsey Abbey from Anglo-Saxon times until the first half of the 16th century.

In Domesday Book, Epsom appears as Evesham and is listed as including two mills, two churches, 24 acres of meadow and sufficient woodland for 20 hogs.

The manor was part of the Honour of Hampton Court from 1597 until 1554, when it was granted to Francis Carew by Mary I After 1611, Epsom was briefly held by the Darcy family and was then sold to Anne Mynne, the widow of George Mynne, who had bought the manor of Horton.

For much of the 18th century, Epsom was held by the Parkhurst family and thereafter the lordship passed through a succession of owners before it was purchased by the borough council in 1955.

The Epsom Vestry appears to have operated as a select vestry, to which members of the gentry were appointed or co-opted.

The Epsom Union was made responsible for workhouses in around a dozen parishes in the area, all of which were consolidated into a workhouse on the Dorking Road, now the site of Epsom Hospital.

The first authentic account of the spa dates from 1629, when Abram Booth, of the Dutch East India Company, visited Epsom and described how "[p]eople coming there took a few glasses of the mentioned water – which has a taste different from ordinary water – after which walking up and down, these had in our opinion very good effect".

Popularity of Epsom continued to increase in the final decades of the 17th century and a regular coach service from London was established in 1684.

The earliest formal races were run on an uphill course from Carshalton to Epsom and were primarily a test of stamina rather than speed.

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 mid-12th century.

Epsom is unusual among Surrey towns, in that it underwent considerable expansion during the early modern period.

The right to hold a market at Epsom was granted to Elizabeth Evelyn by Charles II and the charter was renewed by James II in 1685.

In mid-1940, the Outer London Defence Line A was constructed through Epsom, running along Christchurch Road, the High Street and Alexandra Road.

Epsom is divided between five wards, each of which elects three councillors to Epsom and Ewell Borough Council.

Public gas supply to Epsom began in 1839, when the Epsom and Ewell Gas Company purchased land on East Street for the town gasworks.

The Epsom force had been part of the Metropolitan Police since 1829, but was transferred to Surrey Police in April 2000.

Epsom is thought to have acquired a "manual" fire engine in around the 1760s.

In 2021, the fire authority for Epsom is Surrey County Council and the statutory fire service is Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

Epsom Hospital was built by the Poor Law Guardians adjacent to the workhouse on Dorking Road in 1890.

Epsom Cluster was a group of five psychiatric hospitals, built to the west of Epsom on land purchased by London County Council in 1896.

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Epsom is linked by a number of bus routes to surrounding towns and villages in north Surrey and south London.

Epsom railway station is a short distance to the north of the town centre and is managed by Southern.

Epsom College was founded in 1851 as the Medical Benevolent College by the physician, John Propert.

Domesday Book entry for Epsom includes two churches, one of which is thought to be have been on the site of the present St Martin's Church.

In July 1874, Epsom parish was divided into two, with the western half becoming the new parish of Epsom Common.

Epsom's works include several depictions of the town, including View at Epsom, held by The Tate.

Epsom Playhouse opened in 1984 as part of The Ashley Centre development.

Epsom and Ewell Harriers is a club for track and field athletes, based at the Poole Road Track in Ewell.

Together with the adjacent Ashtead Common, Epsom Common comprises a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is a Local Nature Reserve.

Since 2013, Epsom Downs has been a Site of Nature Conservation Importance.