Leatherhead: Surrey Market Town Where the Mole Cuts Through the North Downs
Leatherhead sits in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, where the River Mole breaks through the North Downs chalk ridge via the Mole Gap. The population is around 11,000 for the town itself, though the wider area including Fetcham and Ashtead is substantially larger. The town is old. The 14th-century Running Horse pub on Bridge Street has a claim as one of the oldest in Surrey, and the parish church of St Mary and St Nicholas dates to the 12th century. The High Street has been pedestrianised and carries a mix of independent shops and chains. The Thorndike Theatre, named after the actress Dame Sybil Thorndike who lived nearby, handles local performance and cinema.
Leatherhead's economy has a notable corporate presence. Unilever's UK headquarters were here until recently, and the town hosts research and office parks along the Randalls Road corridor. The M25 junction 9 is just south of town, where it meets the A24, and Leatherhead station is on the line to London Waterloo via Epsom, taking about 50 minutes. Box Hill, the National Trust chalk downland used as the cycling road race climb in the 2012 Olympics, is two miles to the south. Polesden Lacey, the Edwardian country house, is nearby. For those exploring adult companionship in the Mole Valley area, Leatherhead's M25 access and rail link to London put it within reach of Guildford, Epsom, Dorking, and central London.
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Leatherhead sits in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, where the River Mole breaks through the North Downs chalk ridge via the Mole Gap. The population is around 11,000 for the town itself, though the wider area including Fetcham and Ashtead is substantially larger. The town is old. The 14th-century Running Horse pub on Bridge Street has a claim as one of the oldest in Surrey, and the parish church of St Mary and St Nicholas dates to the 12th century. The High Street has been pedestrianised and carries a mix of independent shops and chains. The Thorndike Theatre, named after the actress Dame Sybil Thorndike who lived nearby, handles local performance and cinema.
Leatherhead's economy has a notable corporate presence. Unilever's UK headquarters were here until recently, and the town hosts research and office parks along the Randalls Road corridor. The M25 junction 9 is just south of town, where it meets the A24, and Leatherhead station is on the line to London Waterloo via Epsom, taking about 50 minutes. Box Hill, the National Trust chalk downland used as the cycling road race climb in the 2012 Olympics, is two miles to the south. Polesden Lacey, the Edwardian country house, is nearby. For those exploring adult companionship in the Mole Valley area, Leatherhead's M25 access and rail link to London put it within reach of Guildford, Epsom, Dorking, and central London.
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