Epsom Downs is an area of chalk upland near Epsom, Surrey; in the North Downs. Part of the area is taken up by the racecourse, the gallops are part of the land purchased by Stanly Wootton in 1925 in order that racehorses can be trained without interference. It is open to users such as ramblers, model aircraft flyers, golfers and cyclists. But all users are subject to the controls laid down by the purchase order; see 'The Wootton Family - Australia to Epsom' by Bill Eacott page 66/67. Since January 2006 model aircraft flyers on the Downs have been required to be members of the Epsom Downs Model Aircraft Club. There are over 20 km of routeways for hack riders. There are bylaws for the use of the Downs. There are panoramic views of London to the north from the Downs. The area is served by Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner railway stations.

Conservators

Epsom Downs is managed by the Epsom and Walton Downs Conservators, which consists of six borough councillors, three representatives of the Epsom Downs Racecourse and one from the racehorse trainers. They are responsible for the maintenance and control of the Downs and the cost of this is split in the same proportion as the representation. The Conservators were set up in 1984 to give a voice to the users of the Downs.

Epsom Downs is a 1977 play by Howard Brenton. Taking its name from the racecourse at which it is set, the play presents a panorama of race-goers, horse-owners, bookies, jockeys, etc. on Derby Day 1977, giving it the feel of a modern city comedy.

The play was commissioned by Joint Stock, a company which works with the writer on researching and devising their plays, but who leave the final writing of the script to the author. It was first performed at The Roundhouse on 8 August 1977, the director was Max Stafford-Clark and the cast, each of whom played multiple roles (the play has almost 50 characters), was: Gillian Barge, Simon Callow, Paul Freeman, Bob Hamilton, Cecily Hobbs, Will Knightley, David Rintoul, Tony Rohr, and Jane Wood.

Writing in The Guardian, Michael Billington described Epsom Downs as Brenton's “most accessible and simply enjoyable play”.

The play was revived at the Salisbury Playhouse in 2012.

Notes

Not to be confused with the camera manufactures "Epson"

Coordinates: 51°20′10″N 0°16′01″W / 51.336°N 0.267°W / 51.336; -0.267

Epsom (/ˈɛpsəm/) is a market town in Surrey, England, 13.6 miles (21.9 km) south south-west of London. The town straddles chalk downland (Epsom Downs) and the upper Thanet Beds. Epsom Downs Racecourse holds The Derby, now a generic name for sports competitions in English-speaking countries. The town also gives its name to Epsom salts, extracted from mineral waters there.

Epsom is the source of the Hogsmill River and includes the semi-rural Horton and Langley Vale.

History

Epsom lies within the Copthorne hundred used for periodic, strategic meetings of the wealthy and powerful in Anglo Saxon England, and later having a Hundred Court. The name of Epsom is early recorded as forms of Ebba's ham (home or perhaps manor). Ebba was a Saxon landowner. Many Spring line settlements by springs in Anglo-Saxon England were founded at the foot of dry valleys such as here and Effingham, Bookham, Cheam, Sutton, Carshalton, Croydon and Bromley. A relic from this period is a 7th-century brooch found in Epsom and now in the British Museum.

Epsom is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. As of the 2014 general election, its member of parliament is David Seymour.

Epsom has been an important electorate in New Zealand politics as it has allowed the ACT Party to gain seats in parliament without meeting the five percent party vote threshold.

Population centres

Epsom is based around central and eastern Auckland City. It contains the suburbs of Parnell, Remuera, Mount Eden, Newmarket, half of Greenlane and the eponymous suburb of Epsom. Under boundary changes resulting from the 2006 census, Epsom was enlarged to include the central city suburb of Grafton, but most of the area was lost again following the 2013 census. It is New Zealand's smallest electorate, covering just 20 km² (8 sq mi).

Epsom was created ahead of the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996, carved out of the Remuera and Eden seats. Remuera was a safe seat for the National Party, having never elected a Member of Parliament from the Labour Party, while Eden was a bellwether seat, changing hands with the change of government. Both of these seats were held by National MPs - Christine Fletcher in Eden and Doug (later Sir Douglas) Graham in Remuera.

Epsom is a town in Surrey, England. Related to that are: