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Original poster

What sort of area is Epsom?

28 replies

Doozie · 29/01/2012 18:14

Hi all, over 12 months later and we are still house hunting and are now looking at different areas. It seems we can't afford Sevenoaks.

Can anyone tell me about Epsom? It seems convenient for rail into London and quick to the M25, but what is like to live there? Schools, houses, highstreet that sort of thing?? Are there areas that are a bit bit grim and would you call it safe? Our budget for a 4 bed house is £750k but would prefer to spend less if poss.

Thanks in advance!

OP posts:
DottyP · 29/01/2012 19:47

I've lived in Epsom for past 15 years and I really like it. It has a good schools both primary and secondary although like alot of places you need to be in the right catchment area. Spoilt for choice with secondary as have an excellent boys school - Glyn and a very highly regarded girls school Rosebery. High Street has everything you need for every day - m&S, House of Fraser, Waitrose etc but prefer to go to Kingston for more choice. Market every Sat and some days during week. Cinema, Epsom playhouse and the gorgeous Epsom Common on your doorstep. Some areas are better than others but you get that any where. I feel very safe during the day but it does get busy Fri and Sat nights in the town with all the young people out. You would get a 4 bed house for that money definitely.

MrsCornish · 29/01/2012 19:48

Epsom good. Well connected, feels properly out of London and yet easy to get in. Great schools. Good gym club! i'm quite envious of colleagues who live there.

Gleek · 29/01/2012 19:54

Epsom is great, good schools at primary level - Wallace Fields being the best but with a ridiculously tiny catchment area and as other poster said excellent at secondary as well as nearby grammar schools Nonsuch and Sutton Grammar.

I live in Ewell which is in zone 6 whereas Epsom is one stop further out so you can't use oyster card which is a bit annoying. Ewell and Ashtead both worth considering too.

It's safe, relatively low crime. Areas to avoid would be Longmead and Watersedge which are two largish council estates although both have a high % of privately owned housing and they really aren't bad.

Original poster
Doozie · 30/01/2012 09:53

Thanks everyone, this is very positive. It is good to have some personal experience of an area as at the moment it is just a name on the map.

Would you say most people living in Epsom would work in the city? Do you think you'd get a seat on the train into London?

I saw this house and thought it looked promising (after some tlc and the garden removed from the roof). How's this for location?

OP posts:
westcottcitizen · 30/01/2012 10:06

You could look at Dorking. I live just outside Dorking in Westcott - I have namechanged for this as don't want to be identified in rl with my proper mn name!

For us getting the other side of the M25 was important, when we moved from Wimbledon. Lovely countryside, small harmless town. A lot of trains to London start at Dorking and therefore easy to get a seat. Good schools - primary & secondary. The Ashcombe is a good comp - we're very happy with it.

DottyP · 30/01/2012 10:20

I would say alot of people commute to London from Epsom. But as it is so well connected to M25 then can get anywhere really. Getting a seat depends on when you travel. Obviously the 7.30 trains will be busier than the earlier ones. That house is in a good area near to Epsom College. Other nice areas to consider would be what is known as the Chase Estate (West Hill Ave and roads around Stamford Green Primary School). Woodcote estate is nice but be careful if looking to get in to Glyn from there. Best bet is to come and have a look and see if you like it.

Gleek · 31/01/2012 21:19

Yes, 'College' is a nice part of Epsom, St.Martin's would probably be the school it's in the catchment for but on a good year you'd get into Wallace Fields.

I almost always get a seat on the train in, you get used to knowing where to stand etc. The train home is tougher, you need to be there probably 5 mins early to guarantee a seat in rush hour or you have to walk right to the front of the train but most trains you can get a seat on without too much of a problem. The fast trains to Epsom are busier and there are the trains that go to Victoria that tend to be quieter.

In my experience, most people who live around here do work in the City although there are some large local employers - WS Atkins, Unilever etc.

PatriciaHolm · 31/01/2012 22:09

Epsom is very nice! We've been here 2 years, moving out from Fulham.

DH gets a train between 7.30-8, usually gets a seat. Parents at our school work all over the place, not all London, though the commute is clearly a big draw.

House is good location, walkable to town but quietish. Agree with Gleek re.schools; you'd be lucky to get WF from there, but St Martins is great too; tbh all the schools here are really.

Original poster
Doozie · 01/02/2012 10:05

Thanks for all your replies it has been really helpful. We're in SW London at the moment so will be off to Epsom this weekend for a look-see.

What about Epsom Downs? Much the same as Epsom?

Westcott Citizen thanks for the Dorking recommendation. I always thought it was too far out but it is only a few stops further on the train line.

OP posts:
anotherwestcottgirl · 01/02/2012 13:28

I've namechanged too! Have to agree with westcottcitizen - might be worth having a look around Dorking as well. Having said that, it is just that little bit further out so you extend your commute - but it's cheaper and parking might be easier. On bad days, I start wishing I lived a little bit closer to London (ie in Epsom/Leatherhead), but really wouldn't want to be any closer. We have friends in Ashtead and that is certainly worth a look as well.

MissBerta · 01/02/2012 13:33

I like Epsom but I'd live in or around Epsom Downs/Tattenham Corner (trains to London though fewer I think) if I could choose. Fir Tree Road etc. Even down to Drift Bridge, you'd have to drive to shops but have Epsom, Banstead, Sutton etc to choose from. Epsom has a nice feel but I think these areas are nicer. (Born around there, know it quite well!)

MissBerta · 01/02/2012 13:35

Have you tried Nork? Lovely area, part of Banstead really but closer to Banstead train station.

cantspel · 01/02/2012 14:50

Ewell or stoneleigh are really nice and stoneleigh has a its own train stain still on the epsom line. Nice houses and schools around and only a couple of miles from epsom.
Worcester park is one step further along the line from stoneleigh and is in a different zone so cheaper fares. There are some nice areas in worceter park again with good schools, parks and local shopping.

Original poster
Doozie · 01/02/2012 22:34

There's a place called Nork?! Brilliant! I will investigate.

I saw this house in Epsom Downs. I've never thought about a new build before but this ticks a lot of boxes. My only reservation is the compromise of the slower and less frequent train journey. Hmmm, worth a look I think...

Will look into the other areas suggested by cantspel too - thanks.

OP posts:
cantspel · 01/02/2012 23:49

If you are looking at new builds

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31895110.html?premiumA=true

This is a lovely road, right oposite the park and a good primary school within 10 minutes walk. I grew up about 5 minutes walk away from this park but moved away a few years ago but i still have family in the area.

Ferris124 · 02/02/2012 01:53

Thames Ditton is nice

MissBerta · 02/02/2012 08:11

Yes, Nork is indeed in existence! That house looks lively, wonder if it's in Ruden Way, fab road just off Fir Tree Lane. Let us know how you get on!

PatriciaHolm · 02/02/2012 10:27

Doozie -watch your secondary schools from the downs. You won't get either of the very good single sex secondaries in Epsom from there I don't think, and your nearest choice isn't anything like as good as those.

3littlebears · 02/02/2012 10:37

Hi. Epsom primary schools are very much in demand - catchment for wf infants last year was just 0.74km and st m's and stamford green just 0.85km. Not likely to improve so obv depends on age of your children but be very aware of this!

3littlebears · 02/02/2012 11:04

Rosebery is a brilliant girls secondary (Woodcote/st m's side of town), Glyn is good boys school (Wf/ewell area). Problem comes if you have a mix - not so many family homes in the middle. Would prob get into Rosebery from the Downs but Glyn unlikely.

PanicMode · 02/02/2012 13:47

I'm going to be the voice of dissent and say that we moved away from the Epsom area to Tunbridge Wells and far prefer here to there. I found it was just part of the South London sprawl really and wanted to be in a place with its own identity. It all just rolled into each other i.e. Wimbledon - Motspur Park - Raynes Park - Worcester Park - Ewell - Epsom etc. That said, friends live at the College as they teach there and absolutely love the town/area. If you were originally looking in Sevenoaks - have you considered TW?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-21718065.html would get you into the best primary in TW for example, and you'd be five mins walk from the MLS

Original poster
Doozie · 02/02/2012 19:24

Thank you for the tip about the schools - that's very important for us as next year DC will start school. That might rule out Epsom Downs then. This house has got to be a certain for WF.

PanicMode thanks for your input, I appreciate the alternative view as well. Definitely know what you mean about the urban sprawl. It seems difficult to avoid within the M25. I really like TW and we have friends there. However we'd discounted it as the commute into London is longer than we wanted. Albeit the house you linked to was about to change my mind - but it has no garden. I don't think we will find a nice 4 bed house, close to rail with a garden for our budget in TW. Do you commute into London - how do you find it?

Have just looked up Thames Ditton Ferris it looks nice, but again I don't think we could afford a 4bed with garden. Also want a train service that goes directly into the city to avoid the tube.

Thank you - I really appreciate the local expertise!

OP posts:
PanicMode · 02/02/2012 20:28

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-35160704.html You would you know ;0), although this is a bit further to the station, it's a fab road.

Commute was fine - I was at Oxford Circus so it was taking me about 75 mins door to door if I chose a fast train. The snow messed it up last year, but I've now 'retired' (ha ha, am taking a career break after DC4) so haven't done it for a while.

PanicMode · 02/02/2012 20:28

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-35160704.html

Trying the link again.....

londonlottie · 02/02/2012 21:14

I think these things always depend very much on whereabouts in London you're likely to want to get to. One thing I liked about a lot of the lines in Kent is that they have direct links up to Charing Cross as well as the City. We've just moved back from abroad, buying a house nr Tunbridge Wells (although on the Tonbridge line - we'll be 52 mins to Cannon St or about the same to ChX) but staying at the moment at my mother's in Surrey. It's all personal opinion but I find it the same as PanicMode in terms of sprawl, and DH finds getting to the City from Waterloo a complete PITA at rush hour.