Epsom

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See also Epsom, New Hampshire and Epsom, New Zealand. For the chemical compound see Magnesium sulfate

Template:Infobox England place Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, close to the southern boundary of Greater London.

The town is located 13.8 miles (22.2 km) south-south-west of Charing Cross, and forms part of the suburbs of London.

1 History
2 Town
3 Local Area
4 Local Leisure
5 Transport
- 5.1 Rail
- 5.2 Road
6 Education
7 Local Government
8 Emergency Services
9 Famous People, Past and Present
10 References
11 External links

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History

The name of Epsom derives from Ebbi's ham. Ebbi was a Saxon landowner. There were a string of settlements, many ending in -ham, along the northern slopes of the Downs, including Effingham, Bookham, and Cheam. The only relic from this period is a 7th century brooch found in Epsom and now in the British Museum.

The early history of the area is bound up with the Abbey of Chertsey, whose ownership of Ebbisham was confirmed by King Athelstan in 933. The town at the time of Domesday Book had 38 peasant households grouped near St. Martin's Church. Later, other small settlements grew up at the town pond (now the Market in the High Street), and at Epsom Court, Horton, Woodcote, and Langley Vale.

The Epsom Derby horse race is run annually nearby on Epsom Downs. The first winner of the Epsom Derby in 1780 was Diomed. Image:Archibaldprimrose1847.jpg The British Prime Minister and first chairman of the London County Council, Lord Rosebery, was sent down (expelled) from the University of Oxford for buying a racehorse and entering it in the Derby - it finished last. Lord Rosebery remained closely associated with the town throughout his life, leaving land to the borough, memorialised in the names of Rosebery Park and Rosebery School.

Historically, Epsom was known as a spa town, although there is little to see nowadays. A housing estate has now been built upon the wells.

Epsom was also known for having a large number of lunatic asylums, although only one remains. These were formerly served by the Horton Light Railway. These days Horton Country Park is home to Horton Park Children's Farm

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Town

It is a desirable place to live due to its strategic location in the London Commuter Belt: the borough of Epsom and Ewell was voted in August 2005 by the British television programme Location, Location, Location as the most desirable place to live in the United Kingdom. To the northeast, the Greater London conurbation; to the southwest, the rolling Surrey countryside.

Each June, Epsom Downs is the home of the Epsom Derby horse race, the second leg of the English Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

Parts of the high street were pedestrianised in the 1980's, around the same time as the Ashley Shopping Centre was built. As was the towns large oneway system. In the 1990's a large multiplex Odeon Cinemas, was built in the Upper High street.

Epsom salts are named after the town. Epsom salt was originally prepared by boiling down mineral waters at Epsom,

The art school, the University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester, has one of five outposts in Epsom.

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