Langley Vale is a village in the
Borough of Epsom and Ewell, in
Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, England, approximately south of
central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning the City of London and several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local gove ...
. As its name suggests, the village is in a dry valley between
Epsom Downs and Walton Downs. Historically part of the
Ashtead Park estate, Langley Vale was the location of a farm in medieval times. The modern village began to develop in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The nearest settlements are
Burgh Heath to the east,
Tadworth to the south-east,
Headley to the south,
Ashtead to the west and the Woodcote part of
Epsom
Epsom is a town in 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 Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...
to the north.
Epsom Downs Racecourse is 1 mile to the northeast and
Woodcote Park, a stately home owned by the
Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club is a British private Club (organization)#Country or sports club, social and athletic club. It has two clubhouses: one in London at 89 Pall Mall, London, Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, ne ...
, is 1 mile to the west.
History
Patent Rolls and similar reveal the Vale was originally a farm with several tenants and later it became in effect a single farm (Langley Bottom Farm) and that after the
Black Death
The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...
or at least after the 14th century it started to disappear from the map. In a document dated 1255/1268 the land appears to be held by a William de Langley. John at Ley from Headley takes it on in 1331/2 and again in 1333/4, succeeding John de Langley. In 1347/8 the tenant is a John at Ley then the records give out. In 1435/6 another John Langley is tenant as subtenant of a William de Langhead of Epsom. The manorial survey of 1496 suggests it was being farmed as a single holding.
Historically, the land which comprised the village of Langley Bottom was, until 1877, part of the
Ashtead Park Estate, although it was in the parish of Epsom.
It was subsequently sold as building land.
OS maps show gradual development - in 1895, the road layout is shown but no development. By 1913 roads and some houses are named. By 1932 there are more houses but still some undeveloped areas. A great deal of development took place after World War II and in the 1970s
infill houses were built on some of the large gardens.
The names Langley Bottom and Langley Vale both predate 1911 when they were both used in the 1911 Census returns. The names could well define two separate areas of the village I.e. the bottom of the road being separate from the upper part. The farm was called Langley Bottom Farm in 1911.
The village has a long association with the racing industry and
Epsom Racecourse. Many trainers set up training stables within the village and by the 1950s as there was as many as 15 training stables in Langley Vale. Many villagers worked in the racing industry, too.
Economy and amenities
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council has permitted minor back-plot development which has permitted higher density development, and some subdivision of plots while still keeping to neat road grid (
nucleated village layout) with designated but sufficient parking to every house, overall, except for
The Derby, which takes place on a start-of-summer weekend.
Planning history and policy
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council
The village has no pub (''The Rubbing House'' across the racecourse being nearest) and very little in the way of shops, a small community centre and church. There is a single petrol station on the main road, and one school.
Transport
Road
The village can be accessed via two roads.
The village has only two bus services; route E5 to Watersedge via Epsom and the 676 school bus to Rosebery School (Epsom), St Andrew's School (Ashtead) and Therfield School (Leatherhead).
Rail
The nearest stations are Tattenham Corner (2 miles by road or 1 mile on foot across the fields) and Epsom Downs (about 2.5 miles).
Emergency services
* Surrey Police
Surrey Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the Counties of England, county of Surrey in South East England.
The force is currently led by Chief Constable Tim De Meyer.
The force has its headquarters at Mount Brown ...
* South East Coast Ambulance Service, formed, as of 1 July 2006 by the merger of the Surrey Ambulance Service, Sussex
Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
, and Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
ambulance services
* Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
See also
* List of places of worship in Epsom and Ewell
External links
The Langley Vale Village community website
References
{{Epsom and Ewell
Hamlets in Surrey
Epsom