Epsom Square & its public art

EPSOM SQUARE
& its public art

A 2008 aerial view of what was then called the Ebbisham Centre, viewed from the west.
(Epsom’s central crossroads is bottom right. From there, the High Street runs east up the photograph and Waterloo Road runs north along the bottom edge.)
This is part of one of the many aerial photographs commissioned by the Epsom Civic Society.

At the turn of the millennium, much of the rather run-down northeast corner of the crossroads in central Epsom was radically redeveloped. (The only buildings left standing were the Grade II-listed 18th Century “White House” on Waterloo Road and the High Street frontage – curving round into Waterloo Road – which dates from the High Street’s widening in the late 1930s.)

Much of the site was just open space used as a car park (accessed from the High Street) with various outbuildings. The only significant demolition needed was of two pairs of tired 19th century semi-detached three-storey houses. (One of these housed the Library, which relocated to temporary premises in The Parade until space in the new Centre was ready.)

The entrance to Epsom Square from the High Street, which was the entrance to the earlier car park.
(Note, as inset and arrowed, the Borough’s “Derby Square” sign.]
Photographs by Roger Morgan © 2023

The central focus of what is now called Epsom Square (the name was changed from “The Ebbisham Centre” in 2018) is a three-story block, the main occupant of which is the Library on the first floor. On that first floor, immediately above the main entrance is the artwork pictured below.

“The Art of Fishing”
Photograph by Roger Morgan © 2023

The piece’s title is given in a framed item immediately under it. This also states: “Concept and design was by Jerry Lord; Sculpted by Jerry Lord & Stephen Clarke; Donated by Surrey Oaklands to the Ebbisham Centre 2001.” (Surrey Oaklands, which merged with others in 2005 to form the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, had responsibility for the mental health provision that continued in Epsom after the closure of the original “Epsom Cluster”.)

Other occupants of the building are lifestyle studios, a children’s soft play area, a GP Surgery and variety of services and small independent enterprises. (At the time of writing, the north side of the block is being redeveloped as Epsom Picturehouse.) The ground floor, surrounding an outdoor plaza (properly, still “Derby Square”, mainly accessed from the High Street) is home to a variety of restaurants, Epsom Social (Surrey’s only food hall), cafes, a children’s hairdresser and various snack bars.

As shown below, Derby Square was the original home for the “Evocation of Speed” sculpture, which can just be seen in the 2008 aerial photograph at the head of this article. (The sculpture’s home since 2020 has been the Market Place.)

“Evocation of Speed” in its original location in Derby Square.
Photograph by Jim Linwood via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

In the corner behind the sculpture in the photograph above is the ground level pedestrian access to the smaller “Oaks Square”, tucked behind the previously-mentioned White House and accessed mainly from Waterloo Road. The ground floor of the buildings round Oaks Square is again mainly for restaurants, but their upper floors are residential apartments.

In 2018 (when, as part of the change from Ebbisham to Epsom Square, Derby Square was remodelled), Oaks Square became the temporary home of the “Evocation of Speed” until its 2020 installation in Epsom’s refurbished Market Place. But, from its beginnings, Oaks Square has been home to another (and perhaps little-noticed) piece of public art – again with an appropriate horse racing theme.

Part of Oaks Square, showing the pedestrian access to Derby Square and, inset, the Borough’s sign at the entrance from Waterloo Road (which is just behind us here).
Photographs by Roger Morgan © 2023

And below is a “square on” view of the two mosaic panels on the right of the photograph above.

The small plaque in the bottom right hand corner of the above reads as below.

Pine Lodge, a community-based day centre on Horton Lane for adults with learning disabilities – together with the associated Old Moat Garden Centre – remained open on the 1990s closure of the parent Manor Hospital and its redevelopment for housing.

PS You may also be interested to see the article about Epsom’s Station Approach & its public art.

Author

Roger Morgan