Epsom: Surrey Town Famous for Its Derby, Its Salts, and Its Downs
Epsom sits in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, about 14 miles south of central London. The population is around 31,000. The town is known worldwide for the Epsom Derby, first run in 1780 and still held on the first Saturday of June on Epsom Downs. The Downs themselves, a chalk escarpment rising south of the town, are public open land and offer views across London on clear days. Epsom salts, magnesium sulphate, were first discovered here in the 17th century when a farmer noticed his cattle refused to drink from a particular well. The resulting spa trade drew visitors from London, and Epsom briefly rivalled Bath as a fashionable resort. That era is long gone, but the name stuck to the mineral compound.
The town centre along the High Street has a regular market on Saturdays. The Ashley Centre handles covered retail. Epsom Playhouse on Ashley Avenue stages local and touring productions. Epsom station is on the line to London Waterloo, with trains taking about 30 minutes, and services also run to London Victoria via Sutton. The A24 connects north to London and south to Dorking. The M25 is accessible at junction 9, about three miles to the south. For those interested in adult companionship in the north Surrey area, Epsom's rail links to Waterloo and Victoria and its proximity to the M25 connect it to central London, Kingston, and the wider Surrey commuter belt.
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Epsom sits in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, about 14 miles south of central London. The population is around 31,000. The town is known worldwide for the Epsom Derby, first run in 1780 and still held on the first Saturday of June on Epsom Downs. The Downs themselves, a chalk escarpment rising south of the town, are public open land and offer views across London on clear days. Epsom salts, magnesium sulphate, were first discovered here in the 17th century when a farmer noticed his cattle refused to drink from a particular well. The resulting spa trade drew visitors from London, and Epsom briefly rivalled Bath as a fashionable resort. That era is long gone, but the name stuck to the mineral compound.
The town centre along the High Street has a regular market on Saturdays. The Ashley Centre handles covered retail. Epsom Playhouse on Ashley Avenue stages local and touring productions. Epsom station is on the line to London Waterloo, with trains taking about 30 minutes, and services also run to London Victoria via Sutton. The A24 connects north to London and south to Dorking. The M25 is accessible at junction 9, about three miles to the south. For those interested in adult companionship in the north Surrey area, Epsom's rail links to Waterloo and Victoria and its proximity to the M25 connect it to central London, Kingston, and the wider Surrey commuter belt.
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