Epsom and Ewell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Borough of Epsom and Ewell | |
|---|---|
 Shown within Surrey |
|
| Geography | |
| Status: | Borough |
| Region: | South East England |
| Admin. County: | Surrey |
| Area: - Total |
Ranked 332nd 34.07 km² |
| Admin. HQ: | Epsom |
| ONS code: | 43UC |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2005 est.) - Density |
Ranked 316th 68,500 2,011 / km² |
| Ethnicity: | 91.3% White 3.8% S.Asian |
| Politics | |
 Epsom and Ewell Borough Council http://www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk |
|
| Leadership: | Alternative - Sec.31 |
| Control: | Residents |
| MP: | Chris Grayling |
Epsom and Ewell is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England, covering Epsom and Ewell.
The borough was originally in the Metropolitan Police District, despite being outside the modern Greater London boundaries. It was not transferred to Surrey Police until 2000.
The borough was originally formed as an urban district in 1894, and was known as Epsom until 1934. It was made a municipal borough in 1937. The district was initially considered for inclusion in Greater London in 1965 but was left unaltered by the London Government Act 1963 and the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974. [1]
[edit] History
Both Epsom and Ewell lie on the spring line on the north face of the North Downs where the pervious chalk meets the impervious London clay and a series of springs tend to form. In Ewell the springs which form the Hogsmill River are clearly evident. Those in Epsom are less so.
These springs attracted prehistoric people to the area and numerous remains have been found, mostly in Ewell and particularly near the Hogsmill River.
In Roman times the road now known as Stane Street, which ran from London to Chichester, passed through both Epsom and Ewell. Many Roman remains have been found in Ewell suggesting that it was a sizeable Roman settlement.
Both Epsom and Ewell have Saxon names: Ewell takes its name from the spring in the centre of the village and Epsom, or Ebbisham, is the enclosure of Ebbi. A Saxon cemetery in The Grove in Ewell was excavated in the 1930s.
In mediaeval times the area was covered by three manors: Cuddington, which was owned by the Codington family, Epsom which belonged to Chertsey Abbey and Ewell associated with Merton Priory.
In 1538 the village of Cuddington was destroyed to make way for Henry VIII's Nonsuch Palace and its surrounding parks. Henry died before the palace was completed, but it was visited by his daughter Queen Elizabeth. It was demolished in 1682.
Epsom became a spa in the early 17th century when a spring containing Epsom salts was discovered on the Common. Its popularity with London society brought visits from Samuel Pepys and Nell Gwynne, the development of shops and inns and of the oldest spa assembly rooms in England. This still stands at the western end of Epsom High Street.
Horse racing on Epsom Downs began during the spa period, but it was not until the Oaks was first run in 1789 and the Derby the following year that it took on something like its present form. The first grandstand was built in 1830 and the present complex of three stands in 1927 and 1995.
Many large houses were built in Epsom during and after the spa period. St Martin's Church was rebuilt in 1825 and partly rebuilt again in 1908 and the clock tower in the centre of the town replaced the earlier watchhouse in 1847. Ewell saw less change in recent centuries and, although now surrounded by suburbia, still retains much of its village character. Its medieval church was replaced by the present Victorian one in 1848, but the original medieval tower still stands in the churchyard.
The Pre-Raphaelite painters, John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt, had connections with both Ewell and Cuddington and used local scenes as backgrounds for a number of their paintings: notably 'Ophelia' by Millais and 'The Light of the World' by Hunt.
In 1995 Epsom and Ewell became twinned with Chantilly, Oise in France.
In August 2005 the borough was declared the best local authority area to live in the entire United Kingdom by the Channel 4 programme The Best and Worst Place to Live in the UK. The borough's low crime rate, good education results and large number of open spaces were all cited as especially attractive features. [2] [3] However by October 2006 Epsom and Ewell's position had fallen to eighth best.
[edit] Transport
Railway stations in the borough include Epsom, Ewell East, Ewell West and Stoneleigh. Both Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner stations sit on the borough borders.
The borough is just north of the M25 motorway.
London Gatwick Airport is about 20 miles from Epsom.
[edit] Politics
Epsom and Ewell is one of the few remaining councils to be dominated by a group not linked to a national political party. The Residents Association has consistently dominated the council since the foundation of the borough.
The Epsom and Ewell Parliamentary Constituency is one of the most Conservative seats in the country and contains the entirety of the borough. As the borough's population is not large enough for a full seat, it has also contained other neighbouring areas. Since 1997 it also contains Ashtead which is part of the Mole Valley district. Before the boundaries were changed in 1997 the constituency instead contained Banstead to the east which is part of the Reigate and Banstead borough.
