103-504: Ewell ( / ˈ j uː əl / YOO -əl , inf. / ˈ j uː l / YOOL ) is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey , England. It is approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of central London and 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Epsom . In the 2011 Census , the town had a population of 34,872. The majority of which (73%) is in the ABC1 social class , except
206-502: A feudal system . However he promised the English people that he would keep the laws of Edward the Confessor . Thus commoners were still able to exercise their ancient customary rights. The original contract bound the people who occupied the land to provide some form of service. This later evolved into a financial agreement that avoided or replaced the service. Following the introduction of
309-578: A different motto, are used by the local Epsom and Ewell High School . In 1994 and 1995, minor alterations were made to the boundary of Epsom and Ewell with Greater London. This was first to better align the boundary with the Hogsmill River in West Ewell, as well as the roads in Stoneleigh. Prior to 1995, the border followed the edge of old field boundaries not present since the development of Stoneleigh in
412-449: A fee (known as a fine), the heir could have the copyhold transferred. To remove their customary rights, the landlords converted the copyhold into a leasehold tenancy. Leasehold removed the customary rights but the advantage to the tenant was that the land could be inherited. There was a significant rise in enclosure during the Tudor period . Enclosure was quite often undertaken unilaterally by
515-424: A few lines, the poem manages to criticize double standards, expose the artificial and controversial nature of property rights, and take a slap at the legitimacy of state power. And it does it all with humor, without jargon, and in rhyming couplets." In 1770 Oliver Goldsmith wrote the poem The Deserted Village , in it condemns rural depopulation, the enclosure of common land, the creation of landscape gardens and
618-577: A few other remains, which have been taken to the British Museum . Ewell is on a long line of spring line settlements founded along the foot of hills on a geological line between the chalk of the North Downs to the south, and the clay of the London Basin to the north. The Roman road Stane Street from Chichester deviates from straight slightly at Ewell to pass by the central spring. Its successor,
721-425: A formal or informal process. The process could normally be accomplished in three ways. First there was the creation of "closes", taken out of larger common fields by their owners. Secondly, there was enclosure by proprietors, owners who acted together, usually small farmers or squires, leading to the enclosure of whole parishes. Finally there were enclosures by acts of Parliament . The primary reason for enclosure
824-709: A free weekly 5 kilometre run. A local nature reserve in East Ewell owned by the Woodland Trust. Heathland bordered by woodland. Located adjacent to Nonsuch Park and Nonsuch High School. An extensive wildlife corridor, stretching from the Hogsmill source in Ewell Village and extending downstream along the course of the river. This stretches north-west through Ewell Court and West Ewell, extending out to Kingston. Contains three enclosed parks, including Bourne Hall (detailed above in
927-437: A friend complaining that if he desired good roads "never to go into Sussex" and another writer said that the "Sussex road is an almost insuperable evil" . The problem was that country lanes were worn out and this had been compounded by the movement of cattle. Thus the commissioners were given powers to build wide straight roads that would allow for the passage of cattle. The completed new roads would be subject to inspection by
1030-512: A large playground. Ewell Tennis Club are based next to the Rec. In Ewell Court , there is a King George's Field in memorial to King George V . Also at the King George's Field, there is Ewell Athletics Track, a UK Athletics Class B track where Epsom and Ewell Harriers, founded in 1890, have trained since the 1950s. The Harrier Centre, a small sports centre also containing a children's soft play area,
1133-596: A local nature reserve is in this area, from the railway line near Ewell Village to Ruxley Lane. This contains several tributaries of the Hogsmill River , including the confluence with the Horton Stream near Ruxley Lane. Ewell Court is bounded to the northeast by the A240 (Kingston Road). West Ewell is a large residential area with several local centres. Its main centre is the area around Ewell West railway station, which contains
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#17328448681511236-492: A number of paintings, notably 'Ophelia' by Millais and 'The Light of the World' by Hunt. In 1937, shortly after the creation of the current district, Epsom and Ewell was granted a coat of arms , which displays the district's link with horse racing and spas. It is: Per chevron vert and argent, in chief two horses heads erased or and in base as many bars wavy azure. The motto is "None Such", a pun on Nonsuch Palace. The same arms, with
1339-622: A parade of shops. Its principal roads are Chessington Road and Ruxley Lane. These are both B-roads which contain several parades of shops. A section of the Hogsmill Open Space, including the Bonesgate Stream is in the northern fringes of the area. Ruxley Farm Bridge is in the centre of Ruxley Lane over the Hogsmill River, replacing a ford, Ruxley Splash. West Ewell is served by buses travelling between Epsom and Kingston, as well as Chessington. West Ewell covers two wards: West Ewell Ward, to
1442-458: A prelude to the UK's parliamentary system. After 1650 with the increase in corn prices and the drop in wool prices the focus shifted to implementation of new agricultural techniques, including fertilizer, new crops, and crop rotation, all of which greatly increased the profitability of large-scale farms. The enclosure movement probably peaked from 1760 to 1832; by the latter date it had essentially completed
1545-630: A roundabout and its contemporary design. Unlike most parts of its borough, Ewell has telephone numbers using the London 020 area code, alongside Stoneleigh . Ewell also has an unusually large telephone exchange, beside The Spring pub, fitted with underground facilities designed to survive a nuclear conflict during the later years of the Cold War . It was transferred in 2000 from the Metropolitan Police , in whose district it had been placed since 1839, to
1648-503: A single field would have been divided under this system among the lord and his tenants; poorer peasants ( serfs or copyholders , depending on the era) were allowed to live on the strips owned by the lord in return for cultivating his land. The open-field system was probably a development of the earlier Celtic field system, which it replaced. The open-field system used a three-field crop rotation system. Barley , oats , or legumes would be planted in one field in spring, wheat or rye in
1751-601: A special school for children and young people with autism and social communication difficulties; Linden Bridge School, in Worcester Park. 51°19′58″N 0°15′54″W / 51.3329°N 0.2651°W / 51.3329; -0.2651 Enclosure Enclosure or inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land " , enclosing it, and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land could be either through
1854-541: Is Bourne Hall in the centre of the town. It is a modernist circular structure with a central glass dome, built in 1967–70 to a design by A. G. Sheppard Fidler and Associates. The building, which is reminiscent of an immense flying saucer, houses a public library , subterranean theatre, gymnasium, café and local museum, and holds gatherings such as fairs, yoga and karate lessons. It was Grade II listed by English Heritage in 2015 for reasons of architectural interest and also for historic interest as "an ambitious example of
1957-514: Is also in the East Ewell area. An area of detached housing with several private roads. Located in the south of Ewell, between the centre and Epsom Downs Closest to the town are at senior (secondary) level: At further education level: For the wider list of all schools in the borough, see borough of Epsom and Ewell . A historic park to the east of Ewell Village, extending into Stoneleigh and Cheam. Former site of 16th Century Nonsuch Palace, current site of Nonsuch Mansion. Home to Nonsuch parkrun,
2060-703: Is arguably his most praised painting, The Light of the World . Similarly, the background for John Everett Millais ' oil on canvas Ophelia was painted at Ewell. In August 2005 the borough of Epsom and Ewell was rated the most desirable place to live in the United Kingdom by the British television programme The Best and Worst Place to Live in the UK ; the following year's edition figured it in 8th place. The borough's low crime rate, good education results and large number of open spaces were all cited as its particularly attractive features, although being less commercial than
2163-608: Is contiguous with the Greater London suburbs . The name Ewell derives from Old English æwell , which means river source or spring . The second half of the name of the village of Temple Ewell in Kent has the same meaning. Bronze Age remains have been found in Ewell and the Romans are likely to have encountered an existing religious site when they first arrived leaving pottery, bones, and
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#17328448681512266-411: Is found that the sheep of any soil yield a softer and richer wool than ordinary, there the nobility and gentry, and even those holy men, the abbots! not contented with the old rents which their farms yielded, nor thinking it enough that they, living at their ease, do no good to the public, resolve to do it hurt instead of good. They stop the course of agriculture, destroying houses and towns, reserving only
2369-496: Is in the eastern edge of the Borough. Much of the working population has middle (average) to upper-middle class levels of income. As to housing estates, housing prices are highest in the less densely developed Downs areas including the immediate border area to Cheam and Banstead ; only the north-east of Epsom has housing close to the national average price. Its working class and its social housing recipients are concentrated most in
2472-489: Is mentioned several times between 1663 and 1665 in his diary, in which he spells it Yowell . The enclosure (privatisation) of its common fields of 707 acres (286 ha) in the east and its infertile land (' waste ') of 495 acres (200 ha) was carried out in 1801. In 1811 a National School was established sponsored by Mr. White and Mr. Brumfield. Thomas Calverley built the large architecturally listed home Ewell Castle in 1814 in an imitation castellated style and gave
2575-886: Is on the London Outer Orbital Path (London Loop) walking route. The path heads through South Cheam into Warren Farm and Nonsuch Park via East Ewell, before crossing into Ewell Village passing Ewell Castle School. It passes through Bourne Hall (at the main source of the Hogsmill River) before heading along the Hogsmill Open Space past the Kingston borough border. Ewell is served by two railway stations: Ewell West , which has services towards London Waterloo , Dorking and Guildford , and Ewell East , which has services towards London Victoria , Dorking and Horsham . Both stations are in TfL Fare Zone 6 . Bus services in Ewell include
2678-464: The Inclosure Act 1845 ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. 118). After the 1845 act permanent Inclosure Commissioners were appointed who could approve enclosures without having to submit to Parliament. The Rev. William Homer was a commissioner and he provided a job description in 1766: A Commissioner is appointed by Act of Parliament for dividing and allotting common fields and is directed to do it according to
2781-774: The A24 (London Road) runs from Merton to Ewell along the course of the Roman road, and leaves Ewell also with a by-pass connecting it to Epsom. Ewell was traditionally located within the Copthorne hundred . Ewell appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Etwelle . It was held by William the Conqueror . Its assets were: 13½ hides ; 2 mills worth 10s, 16 ploughs , 14 acres (5.7 ha) of meadow , woodland and herbage worth 111 hogs . It rendered £25 per year to its feudal system overlords; also £1 from
2884-637: The Local Government Act 1972 , but kept the same boundaries and its borough status, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor , continuing Epsom and Ewell's series of mayors dating back to 1937. The area was in the Metropolitan Police District from 1840 until it was transferred to Surrey Police in 2000. Epsom and Ewell Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Surrey County Council . There are no civil parishes in
2987-597: The Oyster card as payment and all except Epsom are in either fare zone 5 or 6. The borough is just north of, and entirely within, the M25 motorway . Gatwick Airport is 20 miles south from Epsom. Numerous bus services run through Ewell into Epsom town centre such as London Buses services 166 , 293 , 406 , 418 , S2 and Surrey County Council subsidised services 460, 480, 318, Epsom local area routes E5, E9, E10 and E16. Most services were previously run by Quality Line however since
3090-770: The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames . This radical transformation is documented in the photography collected in the book Archive Photos – Epsom and Ewell . The suburban residential development across that area is mainly 1930s/40s semi-detached houses, although some Edwardian, Victorian and earlier architecture is still present. The Hogsmill Open Space gives an indication of Ewell's rural prewar history. There are two tiers of local government covering Ewell, at district and county level: Epsom and Ewell Borough Council , based in Epsom , and Surrey County Council , based in Reigate . Ewell
3193-467: The Statute of Merton in 1235 manorial lords were able to reorganize strips of land such that they were brought together in one contiguous block. Copyholders had a "customary tenancy" on their piece of land that was legally enforceable. The problem was that a "copyhold tenancy" was only valid for the holder's life. The heir would not have the right to inheritance although usually by custom, in exchange for
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3296-491: The " open field system ," was in the lowland areas of England in a broad band from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire diagonally across England to the south, taking in parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, large areas of the Midlands, and most of south central England. Enclosure Inclosure Villagers There were essentially two broad categories of enclosure, these were 'formal' or 'informal' agreements. Formal enclosure
3399-496: The 1930s, causing the border to dissect roads, houses and gardens. There was very little net change in Epsom and Ewell's population. In 1995 Epsom and Ewell twinned with Chantilly in northern France , another racing town. Links are coordinated by Epsom and Ewell Town Twinning Association. The parish of Epsom was made a local board district in 1850. Such districts were reconstituted as urban districts in 1894. The urban district
3502-539: The Anglican clergy) could voluntarily commutate tithe payments to a rental charge, this would have the effect of reducing their income, so many refused to allow it. However the Tithe Act 1836 ( 6 & 7 Will. 4 . c. 71) made it compulsory for tithe payments to be commutated to a rent charge instead. The commissioners of inclosure had absolute authority to enclose and redistribute common and open fields from around 1745 until
3605-630: The Black Death may have only sped up an already on-going process. From as early as the 12th century agricultural land had been enclosed. However, the history of enclosure in England is different from region to region. Parts of south-east England (notably sections of Essex and Kent ) retained the pre-Roman Celtic field system of farming in small enclosed fields. Similarly in much of west and north-west England, fields were either never open, or were enclosed early. The primary area of field management, known as
3708-450: The Black Death, during the 14th to 17th centuries, landowners started to convert arable land over to sheep, with legal support from the Statute of Merton of 1235. Villages were depopulated. The peasantry responded with a series of revolts. In the 1381 Peasants' Revolt , enclosure was one of the side issues. However, in Jack Cade's rebellion of 1450 land rights were a prominent demand and by
3811-543: The Common " has come to represent the opposition to the enclosure movement in the 18th century: "The law locks up the man or woman Who steals the goose from off the common, But lets the greater felon loose Who steals the common from the goose." (Part of 18th century poem by Anon.) According to one academic: "This poem is one of the pithiest condemnations of the English enclosure movement—the process of fencing off common land and turning it into private property. In
3914-504: The Hammonds' 1911 analysis of the events, critically J. D. Chambers and G. E. Mingay , suggested that the Hammonds exaggerated the costs of change when in reality enclosure meant more food for the growing population, more land under cultivation and on balance, more employment in the countryside. The ability to enclose land and raise rents certainly made the enterprise more profitable. D. McCloskey. "The openfields of England: rent, risk and
4017-551: The King, whose Star Chamber court, abolished in 1641, had provided the primary legal brake on the enclosure process. By dealing an ultimately crippling blow to the monarchy (which, even after the Restoration , no longer posed a significant challenge to enclosures) the Civil War paved the way for the eventual rise to power in the 18th century of what has been called a "committee of Landlords",
4120-708: The Landmarks section) and: An enclosed area incorporating Ewell Court lake and Ewell Court House (with a cafe) . The house was restored after the 2014 fire. The Ewell Court stream flows into the main Hogsmill River on the edge of the park. The Hogmsill acts as a natural park boundary, with fences containing pedestrian gates around the rest of the perimeter. An area of green space containing a playground and two grass football pitches. The Harrier Centre can be found there, containing Ewell Athletics Track, home to Epsom and Ewell Harriers Athletics club. Found in 1890 (the oldest in Surrey),
4223-528: The Ruxley Ward that is C2DE. Ewell was founded as a spring line settlement , where the permeable chalk of the North Downs meets the impermeable London Clay , and the Hogsmill River (a tributary of the River Thames ) still rises at a spring close to Bourne Hall in the village centre. Recorded in Domesday Book as Etwelle , the settlement was granted a market charter to hold a market in 1618. The town
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4326-552: The Ruxley and Court Wards of the Borough, among the most deprived in Surrey, but less so than the 50 most deprived wards of London . The average house price from sales in May 2021 was £561,577. Railway stations in the borough include Epsom , Ewell East , Ewell West and Stoneleigh . Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner stations sit on the borough borders. All stations in the Borough have accepted
4429-462: The TfL-operated 293 , 406 , 418 , 467 , S2 and non-TfL operated E5 and E16 providing links to Morden , Kingston Upon Thames and Chessington . Pre-Raphaelite artist William Holman Hunt married and produced several artistically and conceptually outstanding works here. The doorway linking St Mary's church yard and the grounds of Glyn House reproduced as the door on which Christ is knocking
4532-673: The Tudors. The resulting depopulation was financially disadvantageous to the Crown. The authorities were concerned that many of the people subsequently dispossessed would become vagabonds and thieves. Also the depopulation of villages would produce a weakened workforce and enfeeble the military strength of the state. From the time of Henry VII, Parliament began passing acts either to stop enclosure, to limit its effects, or at least to fine those responsible. The so-called 'tillage acts', were passed between 1489 and 1597. The people who were responsible for
4635-530: The animals produced in the fallow field would help restore its fertility. The following year, the fields for planting and fallow would be rotated. The very nature of the three field rotation system imposed a discipline on lord and tenants in their management of the arable land. Every one had the freedom to do what they liked with their own land but had to follow the rhythms of the rotation system. The land-holding tenants had livestock , including sheep, pigs, cattle , horses, oxen , and poultry , and after harvest,
4738-438: The available contemporary data and concluded that the difference in efficiency between the open field system and enclosure is not so plain and obvious. M.E.Turners paper "English Open Field and Enclosures:Retardation or Productivity Improvements". Based on figures extracted from Home Office returns. Notes: A bushel is a measurement of volume = 8 imperial gallons (36 L; 9.6 US gal); 1 acre = 0.4 ha After
4841-409: The borough's urban areas form part of the wider Greater London Built-up Area . The neighbouring districts are Reigate and Banstead , Mole Valley , Kingston upon Thames and Sutton , the latter two being London boroughs . Epsom and Ewell lies on the spring line on the north face of the North Downs where pervious chalk meets impervious London clay and a series of springs form. In Ewell
4944-475: The borough, which is an unparished area . Epsom and Ewell is one of the few councils dominated by a group not linked to a national political party. Epsom and Ewell Residents Association has been the main group on the council since the 1930s. Party affiliations were not recorded on ballot papers prior to 1970, but the Residents Association has certainly held a majority of the seats on the council since
5047-555: The cattle enriched the arable land and grass crops on the ploughed-up and manured land were much better than were those on the constant pasture." Since the late 20th century, those contentions have been challenged by a new class of historians. The Enclosure movement has been seen by some as causing the destruction of the traditional peasant way of life, however miserable. Landless peasants could no longer maintain an economic independence so had to become labourers. Historians and economists such as M.E.Turner and D. McCloskey have examined
5150-447: The centres of Kingston or London, having a relative 'lack of entertainment facilities'. Epsom and Ewell Epsom and Ewell ( / ˈ juː əl , juː l / ) is a local government district with borough status in Surrey , England, covering the towns of Epsom and Ewell . The borough lies just outside the administrative boundary of Greater London , but it is entirely within the M25 motorway which encircles London . Many of
5253-524: The church in Leatherhead , it was held by Osbert de Ow and was attached to his manor. In the 13th century Ewell 's current spelling appears, in the Testa de Nevill . King Henry VIII established here in 1538 Nonsuch Palace on the borders of Cheam , considered one of his greatest building projects. The estate, now Nonsuch Park , a public park, was one of his favourite hunting grounds, although no trace of
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#17328448681515356-709: The churches, and enclose grounds that they may lodge their sheep in them. As if forests and parks had swallowed up too little of the land, those worthy countrymen turn the best inhabited places into solitudes; for when an insatiable wretch, who is a plague to his country, resolves to enclose many thousand acres of ground, the owners, as well as tenants, are turned out of their possessions by trick or by main force, or, being wearied out by ill usage, they are forced to sell them; by which means those miserable people, both men and women, married and unmarried, old and young, with their poor but numerous families... (From Thomas Mores Utopia. 1518) An anonymous poem, known as " The Goose and
5459-454: The club celebrate their centenary year. Ewell is also home to Ewell St Mary's Morris Men . Founded in 1979, further to a bequest from the then Vicar, Peter Hogben, for the annual Village Fete – the Team danced into The Morris Ring in the late eighties and now have many unique dances in their repertoire. They dance Cotswold Morris and sport black top hats, red and white baldrics and ribbons. Ewell
5562-470: The club have trained at this track since the 1950s. Gauntlett Boxing Club have trained at the Harrier Centre since 2017 Located in East Ewell, near to the A240. A small park on the northern edge of Ewell Village, containing a large playground and 2.3 hectares of open space A park just west of Ewell Village, next to Ewell West railway station. Contains a bowling green, tennis courts, football pitches and
5665-416: The destruction of the medieval peasant community. Surplus peasant labour moved into the towns to become industrial workers. The enclosure movement is considered by some scholars to be the beginnings of the emergence of capitalism ; for many Marxists, the enclosures constituted "primitive accumulation," establishing the structural conditions necessary for a capitalist political economy. In contrast to
5768-415: The disparate strips of land in an area and consolidate them in one whole piece, for example a manor, then any communal rights would cease to exist, since there was no one to exercise them. Before the enclosures in England, " common " land was under the control of the manorial lord. The usual manor consisted of two elements, the peasant tenantry and the lord's holding, known as the demesne farm. The land
5871-521: The enforcement of the acts were the same people who were actually opposed to them. Consequently, the acts were not strictly enforced. Ultimately with rising popular opposition to sheep farming, the Tillage Act 1533 ( 25 Hen. 8 . c. 13) restricted the size of flocks of sheep to no more than 2,400. Then the Taxation Act 1549 ( 3 & 4 Edw. 6 . c. 23) was introduced that imposed a poll tax on sheep that
5974-460: The entirety of the borough. As the population is not large enough for a full seat, it has also contained neighbouring areas. Since 1997 it also contains Ashtead , part of the Mole Valley district. Before boundaries changed in 1997 the constituency instead contained Banstead to the east, which is part of Reigate and Banstead borough. The council is based at Epsom Town Hall on The Parade, which
6077-407: The expansion of the library service and the integration of community facilities and disabled access". Bourne Hall is surrounded by a stream-side public park with a pond at one end and a fountain; these were formerly the grounds of Garbrand Hall, an 18th-century mansion, later used as a school and also called Bourne Hall, which the new building replaced. The garden wall, a 19th-century entrance arch to
6180-481: The feudal system, there was an increase in the economic growth and urban expansion of the country. In the 13th century, successful Lords did very well financially, while the peasants faced with ever increasing costs did not, and their landholding dwindled. After outbreaks of the Black Death in the middle of the 14th century however, there was a major decline in population and crop yields. The decline in population left
6283-399: The fields became 'common' so they could graze animals on that land. There are still examples of villages that use the open-field system, one example being Laxton, Nottinghamshire . Seeking better financial returns, landowners looked for more efficient farming techniques. They saw enclosure as a way to improve efficiency, however it was not simply the fencing of existing holdings; there
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#17328448681516386-435: The fourth year. The turnips were used for feeding cattle and sheep in the winter. The practice of growing a series of dissimilar types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons helped to restore plant nutrients and reduce the build-up of pathogens and pests. The system also improves soil structure and fertility by alternating deep-rooted and shallow-rooted plants. For example, turnips can recover nutrients from deep under
6489-464: The gardens, the nearby lodge, and an 18th-century bridge inside the gateway were Grade II listed in 1954 and a waterwheel in 1976. Ewell has a C of E Parish Church ( Saint Mary the Virgin, Ewell ), which was designed by Henry Clutton and consecrated in 1848. The current building stands in a prominent position near the centre of the town on old London Road. A replacement for an earlier church building on
6592-517: The initiative to enclose land came either from a landowner hoping to maximise rental from their estate, or a tenant farmer wanting to improve their farm. Before the 17th century enclosures were generally by informal agreement. When they first introduced enclosure by act of Parliament the informal method continued too. The first enclosure by act of Parliament was in 1604 (the Melcombe Regis and Radipole, Dorset (Church) Act 1603 ( 1 Jas. 1 . c. 30)) and
6695-523: The jurisdiction of Surrey Police . Ewell's town centre is the High Street which 400 metres long and contains two chain convenience stores, Sainsbury's Local and Nisa (formerly Co-op), in addition to a post office. There are no longer any banks in Ewell. The Green Man public house is located on the High Street, with three other pubs: The Eight Bells, The Wheatsheaf and the Spring located nearby on Kingston Road in
6798-653: The landowner, sometimes illegally. The widespread eviction of people from their lands resulted in the collapse of the open field system in those areas. The deprivations of the displaced workers has been seen by historians as a cause of subsequent social unrest. In Tudor England the ever increasing demand for wool had a dramatic effect on the landscape. The attraction of large profits to be made from wool encouraged manorial lords to enclose common land and convert it from arable to (mainly) sheep pasture. The consequent eviction of commoners or villagers from their homes and loss of their livelihoods became an important political issue for
6901-427: The local justices, to make sure they were of a suitable standard. In the late eighteenth century the width of the enclosure roads was at least 60 feet (18 m), but from the 1790s this was decreased to 40 feet (12 m), and later 30 feet as the normal maximum width. Straight roads of early origin, if not Roman were probably enclosure roads. They were established in the period between 1750 and 1850. The building of
7004-561: The lord held was for his benefit and was farmed by his own direct employees or by hired labour. The tenant farmers had to pay rent. This could either be cash, labour or produce. Tenants had certain rights such as pasture , pannage , or estovers that could be held by neighbouring properties, or (occasionally) in gross by all manorial tenants. "Waste" land was often very narrow areas, typically less than 1 yard (0.91 m) wide, in awkward locations (such as cliff edges, or inconveniently shaped manorial borders), but also could be bare rock, it
7107-578: The new roads, especially when linked up with new roads in neighbouring parishs and ultimately the turnpikes , was a permanent improvement to the road system of the country. The social and economic consequences of enclosure has been much discussed by historians. In the Tudor period Sir Thomas More in his Utopia said: The increase of pasture,' said I, 'by which your sheep, which are naturally mild, and easily kept in order, may be said now to devour men and unpeople, not only villages, but towns; for wherever it
7210-449: The north of the town. The central, historic centre of Ewell containing the High Street, Bourne Hall, Ewell Castle School and immediate surrounding areas. Ewell Court is a residential area and ward to the northwest of Ewell Village. In the centre of the area is Ewell Court Park, which contains Ewell Court House and Ewell Court Lake. The volunteer-run Ewell Court Library is inside Ewell Court House. A large portion of The Hogsmill Open Space,
7313-400: The palace remains, having been destroyed during the 17th century. In the same park, is Nonsuch Mansion a Grade II* listed 18th-century house occasionally open to visitors. In 1618 Henry Lloyd, lord of the manor, was granted licence to hold a market in Ewell. The market died away in the early 19th century. Samuel Pepys visited Ewell on numerous occasions in the 17th century and the area
7416-406: The palace was complete 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 the oldest spa assembly rooms in England. This stands at
7519-413: The pursuit of excessive wealth. During the 19th and early 20th century historians generally had sympathy for the cottagers who rented their dwellings from the manorial lord and also the landless labourers. John and Barbara Hammond said that "enclosure was fatal to three classes: the small farmer, the cottager and the squatter." "Before enclosure the cottager was a labourer with land; after enclosure
7622-562: The rate of interest, 1300-1815" Arnold Toynbee considered that the main feature distinguishing English agriculture was the massive reduction in common land between the middle of the 18th to the middle of the 19th century. The major advantages of the enclosures were: He writes: "The result was a great increase in agricultural produce. The landowners having separated their plots from those of their neighbours and having consolidated them could pursue any method of tillage they preferred. Alternate and convertible husbandry … came in. The manure of
7725-427: The reforms of 1974: The role of mayor is largely ceremonial at Epsom and Ewell Borough Council. The council does not appoint a leader of the council , with political leadership functions being split between the chair of the Residents Association and the chair of the strategy and resources committee. Since 2015 the chairs of the Residents Association have been: The chairs of the strategy and resources committee over
7828-486: The respective interests of proprietors ... without undue preference to any, but paying regard to situation, quality and convenience. The method of ascertainment is left to the major part of the Commission ... and this without any fetter or check upon them beside their own honour confidence (and late indeed) awed by the solemnity of an oath. This is perhaps one of the greatest trusts ever reposed in one set of men; and merits all
7931-671: The return of caution attention and integrity which can result from an honest impartial and ingenuous mind. (From William Homer, An Essay on the Nature and Method [of] the Inclosure of Common Fields. 1766) After 1899, the Board of Agriculture, which later became the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries , inherited the powers of the Inclosure Commissioners. One of the objectives of enclosure
8034-430: The same period have been: Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2027. Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 35 councillors representing 14 wards , with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. Epsom and Ewell Parliamentary Constituency is one of the most Conservative seats and contains
8137-455: The school financial benefaction, which became available in 1860. In 1879 Ewell Court House, latterly a library was built with a grotto that survives. Ewell was largely developed with semi detached housing in the 1930s, with a minority of the Ewell area built on after World War 2 . In the 1980s, an elderly lifelong resident of Ewell, named Digeance, recalled the pasture land and orchards that stretched north and west right across to Berrylands in
8240-415: The second field in the autumn. There was no such thing as artificial fertilizer in mediaeval England, so the continual use of arable land for crops would exhaust the fertility of the soil. The open-field system solved that problem. It did this by allowing the third field, of the arable land, to be uncultivated each year and use that "fallow" field for grazing animals, on the stubble of the old crop. The manure
8343-489: The site, it was built in a form of the Decorated Neo-Gothic style and faced with Swanage stone with Bath Stone mullions and tracery. The church is home to the 1889 'Father' Henry Willis pipe organ . The ruins of the old church's early medieval tower stand alone in parkland and are a Scheduled Ancient Monument . St Paul's Howell Hill is situated in East Ewell and is known locally due to its prominent presence on
8446-555: The soil. Planting crops such as turnips and clover was not realistic under the open field system because the unrestricted access to the field meant that other villagers' livestock would graze on the turnips. Another important feature of the Norfolk system was that it used labour at times when demand was not at peak levels. From as early as the 12th century, some open fields in Britain were being enclosed into individually owned fields. After
8549-494: The south of Ruxley Lane and Ruxley Ward, to the north. This is an area of predominantly semi-detached housing dating from the 1930s. This area, to the east of the A24 Ewell Bypass is served by Ewell East railway station. The A232 runs through the area. A large part of Nonsuch Park, including the old Nonsuch Palace, can be found in East Ewell as can the remains of the derelict Cuddington Church. Warren Farm Local Nature Reserve
8652-525: The spa period. St Martin's Church was rebuilt in 1825 and partly rebuilt in 1908 and the clock tower in the centre of the town replaced the earlier watchhouse in 1847. Ewell saw less change and, although now surrounded by suburbia. Its medieval church was replaced by the present Victorian one in 1848, but the medieval tower 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
8755-586: The spring in the centre of the town and Epsom, or Ebbisham, is the enclosure of Ebbi. A Saxon cemetery in The Grove in Ewell was excavated in the 1930s. In medieval 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 parks. Henry died before
8858-513: The springs which form the Hogsmill River are evident, those in Epsom are less so. The springs attracted prehistoric people and remains have been found, mostly in Ewell and particularly near the Hogsmill. In Roman times the road now known as Stane Street , from London to Chichester , passed through Epsom and Ewell. Roman remains have been found in Ewell suggesting a sizeable settlement. Epsom and Ewell have Saxon names: Ewell takes its name from
8961-411: The surviving farm workers in great demand. Landowners faced the choice of raising wages to compete for workers or letting their lands go unused. Wages for labourers rose and translated into inflation across the economy. The ensuing difficulties in hiring labour has been seen as causing the abandonment of land and the demise of the feudal system, although some historians have suggested that the effects of
9064-700: The takeover of Epsom Coaches by the RATP Group , the Surrey County Council and commercial services have been contracted to different operators such as Falcon Coaches and Metrobus and the now defunct Buses Excetera (also known as Coaches Excetera) or have been discontinued entirely. The Borough of Epsom and Ewell has several secondary schools; Glyn School , Epsom and Ewell High School , Rosebery School for Girls and Blenheim High School . In addition it also has two private, fee paying schools; Epsom College and Ewell Castle School . The borough also contains
9167-419: The total area of England. Parliamentary inclosure was also used for the division and privatisation of common "wastes" such as fens , marshes , heathland , downland and moors . The statutory process included the appointment of commissioners. The process of enclosure was weighted in favour of the tithe owner who had the right to appoint one inclosure commissioner for their parish. Tithe-owners (usually
9270-533: 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 run in 1789 and the Derby the following year that it took on its present form. The first grandstand was built in 1830 and Queen's Stand in 1995. The 1927 grandstand was demolished in 2007/8 and the new Duchess's Stand opened in its place in 2009. Many large houses were built in Epsom during and after
9373-466: Was a labourer without land." Marxist historians, such as Barrington Moore Jr. , focused on enclosure as a part of the class conflict that eventually eliminated the English peasantry and saw the emergence of the bourgeoisie . From this viewpoint, the English Civil War provided the basis for a major acceleration of enclosures. The parliamentary leaders supported the rights of landlords vis-à-vis
9476-433: Was achieved either through act of Parliament, or, from 1836 onwards, by a written agreement signed by all parties involved. The written record would probably also include a map. With informal agreements there was either minimal or no written record other than occasionally a map of the agreement. The most straightforward informal enclosure was through 'unity of possession'. Under this, if an individual managed to acquire all
9579-481: Was also a fundamental change in agricultural practice. One of the most important innovations was the development of the Norfolk four-course system , which greatly increased crop and livestock yields by improving soil fertility and reducing fallow periods. Wheat was grown in the first year, turnips in the second, followed by barley, with clover and ryegrass in the third. The clover and ryegrass were grazed or cut for feed in
9682-474: Was an ancient parish . When elected parish and district councils were established in 1894 it was given a parish council and included in the Epsom Rural District . In 1933 the parish was absorbed into the neighbouring urban district of Epsom, at which point the parish council was disbanded, with the parish thereafter being an urban parish with no council of its own. The following year the urban district
9785-645: Was built as an addition to the athletics track in 2000. Ewell Tennis Club is also in the Ewell, on the western edge of Ewell Village. Ewell Cricket Club is situated at 27 Ruxley Lane. There are two cricket squares and a licensed clubhouse. They currently compete within the Surrey Championship and the Surrey County League as well as providing friendly cricket on Sundays and have a thriving Junior Cricket Section. The Under 14s were Surrey Junior Cricket Championship Central Division winners in 2022. 2022 also saw
9888-479: Was completed in 1934 for the old Epsom Urban District Council. The borough is at a range of elevations, scaling the lower slopes of the North Downs and drains into a large stream which springs above the surface in Ewell, the Hogsmill River which drains into the Thames at Kingston . The borough comprises: A small portion of Cheam, including the eastern part of Nonsuch Park, as well as Nonsuch High School for Girls
9991-426: Was coupled with a levy on home produced cloth. The result made sheep farming less profitable. However, in the end it was market forces that were responsible for stopping the conversion of arable into pasture. An increase in corn prices during the second half of the 16th century made arable farming more attractive, so although enclosures continued the emphasis was more on efficient use of the arable land. Historically,
10094-466: Was enlarged in 1933 to take in the parishes of Ewell and Cuddington , and the following year the district's name was changed to "Epsom and Ewell". It was made a municipal borough in 1937. The district was considered for inclusion in Greater London in 1965 but was left unaltered by the London Government Act 1963 . The district was redesignated as a non-metropolitan district in 1974 under
10197-592: Was for Radipole , Dorset . This was followed by many more acts of Parliament and by the 1750s the parliamentary system became the more usual method. The Inclosure Act 1773 ( 13 Geo. 3 . c. 81) created a law that enabled "enclosure" of land, at the same time removing the right of commoners ' access. Although there was usually compensation, it was often in the form of a smaller and poorer quality plot of land. Between 1604 and 1914 there were more than 5,200 inclosure bills which amounted to 6,800,000 acres (2,800,000 ha) of land that equated to approximately one fifth of
10300-447: Was not officially used by anyone, and so was often "farmed" by landless peasants. The remaining land was organised into a large number of narrow strips, each tenant possessing several disparate strips throughout the manor, as would the manorial lord . The open-field system was administered by manorial courts , which exercised some collective control. The land in a manor under this system would consist of: What might now be termed
10403-410: Was renamed "Epsom and Ewell" in recognition of Ewell's inclusion. The urban district was made a municipal borough in 1937. In 1951 the parish had a population of 25,762. On 1 April 1974 the parish was abolished. The town lies entirely within the parliamentary constituency of Epsom and Ewell , and is currently represented in parliament by Liberal Democrat Helen Maguire . Ewell's largest landmark
10506-407: Was to improve local roads. Commissioners were given authorisation to replace old roads and country lanes with new roads that were wider and straighter than those they replaced. The road system of England had been problematic for some time. An 1852 government report described the condition of a road between Surrey and Sussex as "very ruinous and almost impassable." In 1749 Horace Walpole wrote to
10609-556: Was to improve the efficiency of agriculture. However, there were other motives too, one example being that the value of the land enclosed would be substantially increased. There were social consequences to the policy, with many protests at the removal of rights from the common people. Enclosure riots are seen by historians as 'the pre-eminent form' of social protest from the 1530s to 1640s. After William I invaded and conquered England in 1066, he distributed its land amongst 180 barons , who held it as his tenants in chief , establishing
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