Horton is a semi-rural area with a village centre in the west of the borough of

Epsom and Ewell Epsom and Ewell () is a local government district with borough status and unparished area in Surrey, England, covering the towns of Epsom and Ewell. The borough was formed as an urban district in 1894, and was known as Epsom until 1934. It was ...

, in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

county of

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...

. It is situated between the settlements of

Epsom Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...

, West Ewell,

Chessington Chessington is an area in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames within Greater London. Historically part of Surrey, today it is the largest salient of Greater London into that county. At the 2011 census it had a population of 18,973. The ...

and Malden Rushett. It's principal road is Horton Lane, which runs the length of the area between West Ewell and Epsom Common. Horton covers the west part of the KT19 postcode which comes under part of the Epsom postal area.

Horton Country Park Horton Country Park is a Local Nature Reserve north-west of Epsom in Surrey. It is owned and managed by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council. The park is a wooded recreation and amenities area occupying the east of a narrow upland watershed betwe ...

also runs along the length of the area, between Epsom Common and West Ewell. The place-name ''Horton'' is relatively common in England. It derives from

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th ...

''horu'' 'dirt' and ''tūn'' 'settlement, farm, estate', presumably meaning 'farm on muddy soil'. It gave its name to the

Horton Light Railway The Horton Light Railway had its origins in a contractor's line (the Ewell & Long Grove Railway) built in 1905 to transport building materials, coal and other supplies for London County Council's Epsom Cluster of psychiatric hospitals in the Horto ...

which served a number of the

psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociat ...

s in the area during the 20th century, collectively known as the

Epsom Cluster The Epsom Cluster, also referred to as the Horton Estate, was a cluster or group of five large psychiatric hospitals situated on land to the west of Epsom. The hospitals were built by the London County Council to alleviate pressure on London's e ...

. Since the start of the 21st century, Horton has undergone rapid change. The hospitals which made up the Epsom Cluster closed as

Care in the Community Care in the Community (also called "Community Care" or "Domiciliary Care") is a British policy of deinstitutionalisation, treating and caring for physically and mentally disabled people in their homes rather than in an institution. Institutional ca ...

took over from

inpatient care Inpatient care is the care of patients whose condition requires admission to a hospital. Progress in modern medicine and the advent of comprehensive out-patient clinics ensure that patients are only admitted to a hospital when they are extreme ...

. Multiple housing estates including Manor Park were constructed on the site, in addition to a number of shops in the centre of the area. In 2022, Horton was made a ward in its own right of Epsom and Ewell due to the population increase in the area.

History

Ancient use and the Horton Manor Estate

The earliest evidence of human activity in Horton is from the mid-

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

. Remains of pits, ditches and post holes in Long Grove Road indicate that the Horton area was used for agriculture in prehistoric times, which may suggest the presence of an established settlement nearby. Pottery

sherd In archaeology, a sherd, or more precisely, potsherd, is commonly a historic or prehistoric fragment of pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are ...

s and worked

flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start ...

s, found on the site of the former Manor Hospital site in Horton, show that human activity continued into the early

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

and two staters (coins) from this period have been found in the area. As shown in an 1816 Ordnance Survey map of the area, Horton was a hamlet, separated by fields from the more substantial settlements of Ewell and Epsom. During the 19th Century, the ''Horton Manor Estate'' existed across what is now present-day Horton. Owned by Thomas Buxton, it contained the hamlet of Horton, where the present day Horton Local Centre is located. A map from 1890 shows Horton Farm existed (now Hobbledown). Horton Manor House was located on what is now the western edge of the Manor Park Estate today. The Horton Manor Estate was part of the Epsom Parish. The north of the estate bordered the Ewell Parish.

Housing and retail development

Housing estates rapidly sprung up on the former sites of the Epsom Cluster institutions, including Manor Park and Clarendon Park. They are all connected to Horton Lane via the extensive network of roundabouts.

Geography

Horton is centred on the area of shops near the roundabout of Horton Lane and Chantilly Way. This shopping parade gives the area a village centre like feel. Horton travels the length of Horton (SSW to NNE) from Epsom Common to Hook Road Arena. The road contains cycle lanes both on the road and pavement, alongside a wide footpath. Hobbledown children's park is located close to Horton's centre.

runs along the length of the western side of the area. Newly constructed housing estates can be found on both sides of Horton Lane on the site of former hospitals. Horton Park Golf Course occupies the north-west of the area, contiguous with the county park. This park is adjacent to Epsom Common and Castle Hill Nature Reserve. This links the park to the wider Surrey and London countryside, resulting in Horton having a more rural setting than suburban Ewell and Chessington. A smaller park, Long Grove Park and a primary school is in the east of the area, with the Old Moat Garden Centre in the south.

Topography

Horton is situated on a gentle incline running SSW from West Ewell to Epsom Common, along Horton Lane and Horton Country Park. The lowest part of Horton is at 27m (89ft) where the Horton Stream (a tributary of the Hogsmill River) flows out of the north-east of Horton Country Park adjacent to Chessington Road (B284). The highest point can be found near the junction of Horton Lane and Christchurch Road (B280) in the grounds of Hollywood Lodge, at 71 metres (233ft) above sea level. The Horton Stream forms a valley in the west of Horton, in the Country Park. The east and south of Horton is higher owing to a ridge of land between the Horton Stream and the Green Lanes stream which is sourced at nearby Epsom Common. The area is in the low-lying London Clay geological region, just south of the North Downs chalk ridge of Epsom Downs and Headley. Further this stream connects to the Hogsmill River.

Localities

Horton Park Golf Club

Contains an 18 hole course, a Par 3 9 hole course, a driving range in addition to a crazy golf course which opened in 2014. Located in the north of Horton, contiguous with

Hook Road Arena

An area of enclosed green space located in the north of Horton. Hosts funfair events in addition to the annual firework and bonfire night. The Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) horse riding charity is based adjacent to the arena.

Horton Country Park

A 1.5 mile long area of open space just west of Horton Lane, with a large car park. A mixture of woodland and fields, containing some horses in the fields. Contains Epsom Polo Club. Adjacent to Epsom Common and Castle Hill Nature Reserve, Chessington.

Hobbledown

An adventure park and zoo, located just west of Horton Lane, adjacent to the David Lloyd Centre and Horton Country Park. Contains a soft play area. Formerly known as Horton Park Children's Farm.

Long Grove Park

An enclosed space located in the east of the area. Contains a playground and is adjacent to the residential area in the west of Epsom. The park is also continuous with open space beside Abbots Avenue.

Surrounding Area

The nearest towns to Horton is Epsom and Chessington, located 1.5 miles to the east and west respectively. The residential area of West Ewell is contiguous with Horton.

References

{{Reflist Villages in Surrey Epsom and Ewell