Epsom

Epsom is a residential town of about 31,500 people (2011) in Surrey, 15 miles (35 km) south west of London, just outside the metropolitan boundary of Greater London. Its racecourse is home to the Epsom Derby, a two-day festival of horse racing dating back to 1780.

Understand

The compact borough of Epsom and Ewell is mainly residential. Some office space and light industry form a corridor between Epsom town centre and the village of Ewell. East Street in Epsom runs through the heart of this commercial district. The town centre is dominated by the Ashley Centre shopping mall, which contains typical chain outlets such as Boots, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Monsoon, Next, Waitrose and WH Smith.

Epsom borders Reigate and Banstead at Epsom Downs. The Downs are an upland chalk ridge marked by steep slopes rising from the south. This rural enclave takes up a quarter of the borough's land area and is home to the famous Epsom Downs racecourse and grandstand, the venue of the annual Epsom Derby horseracing event in June.

• Epsom Council website

Get in

By road

Epsom lies just to the southwest of London Metropolitan Area, but inside the M25 orbital motorway. The shortest main road between central London and Epsom is the A3, starting at London Bridge, switching to the A24 at Clapham Common, through to Epsom town centre. The A24 makes barely any diversion from the SSW compass point.

Between London and Epsom this Roman route (built c. 100 AD) cannot be widened because of 19th and later 20th century urbanisation and it hasn't been bypassed except for two short sections around Merton High Street and Ewell village centre. The distance is only 15 miles, but during the daytime and the morning and evening rush hours can take an hour or more to drive.

A faster journey from central London follows the A3 after Clapham Common and turns off onto the A240 spur road at Tolworth junction, to approach Epsom from the northwest. This route follows a two- or three-lane dual carriageway most of the way. The A3 is easily accessible from central London.

The M25 serves Epsom from all other parts of the UK. Leave the motorway at Junction 9 and road signs for Epsom direct you onto the A24 from the south. The distance from the motorway junction is miles.

By train

Trains from London to 1 Epsom station are slow but are still quicker than the road journey. The average journey time of 36 minutes is unimpressive for an 18-mile (29-km) journey, but at least trains depart frequently. Two timetables combined provide eight trains an hour between London and Epsom from Monday to Saturday, and four an hour on Sundays and Bank Holidays. The fastest times are 33 minutes from London Victoria station (operated by Southern Railway) and 35 minutes from London Waterloo station (operated by South Western Railway). An additional hourly service to Epsom, from London Victoria, takes passengers on a 51-minute circuitous route via West Croydon. Southern Railway also operates a handful of peak-hour commuter trains to London Bridge, which also take 50–55 minutes.

The direct lines from London Waterloo and London Victoria pass through Clapham Junction, before diverging and meeting again at Epsom, so you can switch trains at Clapham if you want. The London Waterloo line goes through Wimbledon. From London Victoria the train takes a more easterly route via Mitcham Junction.

Epsom station is outside the London Travelcard area, but Travelcards are available from Epsom station. Oyster cards can be used at Epsom station, but no further outside of London

Two rail routes approach Epsom from the south. There are two trains an hour from Guildford (for connections from Portsmouth and Reading) and four an hour from the town of Dorking. Further south there is a rail link to the West Sussex coast via Horsham operated by only one hourly train that continues beyond Dorking. The English Channel is 50 miles (80 km) due south of Epsom.

Get around

Much of the town centre can easily be covered on foot. Public transport options from the centre up to Epsom Downs, or out to Ewell Village, consist of a reasonable bus network. Timetables can be found here . You can also travel by bus to Leatherhead, Sutton, or Kingston upon Thames.

See

• 1 Epsom Downs Racecourse, Epsom Downs, KT18 5LQ, ☏ +44 1372 726311. The home of the Epsom Derby, a two-day festival of horse racing dating back to 1780, held each year in early June. The event attracts tens of thousands of racing fans, and although there are restricted areas in the Grandstand and Queen's Stand, many parts around the course, and in the centre of the horseshoe-shaped track, are open to the general public. When there is no racing, the downs are a great place to walk, ride or fly a kite. (updated Apr 2019)
• 2 Bourne Hall Museum, Spring Street, Ewell, KT17 1UF. Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM. A small local museum with some interesting exhibits. It is on the first floor of a 1960s building in the centre of Ewell Village. There are meeting rooms and a public library on the ground floor. The museum displays change regularly. Free. (updated Jan 2017)
• Hobbledown, Horton Lane, KT19 8PT (Between Epsom and Chessington near junction 9 of the M25), ☏ +44 1372 668 942, epsominfo@hobbledown.com. Daily 10AM-5PM (winter), 10AM-6PM (summer). £17+ per ticket. 

Further afield

• 3 Polesden Lacey, Great Bookham, RH5 6BD (about 30 minutes drive south of Epsom, 5 miles northwest of Dorking, 2 miles south of Great Bookham, off the A246 Leatherhead–Guildford road; Bus 246 runs from Epsom), ☏ +44 1372 452048, fax: +44 1372 452023, polesdenlacey@nationaltrust.org.uk. 11AM-5PM (summer), 11AM-4PM (winter). A Regency country house with Edwardian interiors and gardens, set in beautiful downland countryside. Gardens only: £5.90, child £3.10; house & gardens: £9.50, child £5.  
• 4 Box Hill, The Old Fort, Box Hill Road, Box Hill, Tadworth, KT20 7LB (1 mile north of Dorking, 2 miles south of Leatherhead on the A24), ☏ +44 1306 885502, fax: +44 1306 875030, boxhill@nationaltrust.org.uk. 11AM-5PM (summer), 11AM-4PM (winter). Great views across downland towards the south coast. Parking £3, countryside free. 

Do

• 1 Catch a show at the Epsom Playhouse, Ashley Avenue, KT18 5AL (behind the Ashley Centre shopping mall), ☏ +44 1372 742555. It offers a range of theatre, light entertainment, films and recitals. (updated Jan 2017)
• 2 Chessington World of Adventures (just off M25, Junction 10). Apr-Oct and limited winter partial opening. zoo and theme park with rollercoasters, wet rides and children's rides. Great theme park and zoo that is aimed at kids and younger teenagers. Tickets: £28 adults, £19.50 kids, although there are many 1/2-price offers going on around the year. (updated Jan 2017)
• Epsom Rotaract is a well-established local social club aimed at 18- to 30-year-olds, also attracting members who are new to the country or simply passing through. The club has a very varied calendar, including volunteering and fundraising opportunities alongside more conventional events such as cinema trips, paintballing and meals out.

Buy

Epsom has a Town Centre that has mostly survived the shift to only shopping with The Ashley Centre shopping centre having a large number of national retailers such as Next, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Clark’s and Starbucks, as well as local or independent retailers, such as Toy Barnhaus, Hatty’s Sweet Shop and Mocha.

• 1 Pullingers Art Shop, 18 High Street, KT19 8AH. 

Eat

There are many chain restaurants in the centre of town, but on Epsom Downs, by the racecourse, there are two pubs which provide good food at reasonable prices. Both can get very busy, particularly at weekends.

• 1 Derby Arms, Epsom Downs, KT18 5LE, ☏ +44 1372 722330. 
• 2 Rubbing House, Langley Vale, Epsom Downs, KT18 5LG, ☏ +44 1372 745050. 

Drink

Epsom is not overwhelmed with charming places to drink, particularly in the centre. However, there are a few pubs of interest within 10–15 minutes walk of the station.

• Ye Olde Kings Head, 26, Church St, KT17 4QB, ☏ +44 1372 729125. 
• The Amato Inn, 18, Chalk Lane, KT18 7AS, ☏ +44 1372 721642. 
• The Cricketers Inn, Stamford Green Rd, KT18 7SR, ☏ +44 1372 729384. 
• The Rising Sun, 14, Heathcote Rd, KT18 5DX, ☏ +44 1372 740809. 
• The Albion, 134, High St, KT19 8BT, ☏ +44 1372 744240. 
• The Barley Mow, 12, Pikes Hill, KT17 4EA, ☏ +44 1372 721044. 
• The Ladas, 13, Woodcote Rd, KT18 7QS, ☏ +44 1372 723780. 

Sleep

• Chalk Lane Hotel, Chalk Lane, Woodcote End, KT18 7BB, ☏ +44 1372 721179, fax: +44 1372 727878, smcgregor@chalklanehotel.com. 
• Premier Inn, 2-4 St. Margarets Drive, KT18 7LB (off Dorking Road), ☏ +44 8701 977 096, fax: +44 1372 739761. from £39. (updated Aug 2018)

Go next

Routes through Epsom

Central London ← South London ←

N  S

→ Leatherhead → Dorking