LANGLEYVALEVILLAGE

Langley Vale is a village nestling between Epsom and Walton Downs, just beyond the Epsom racecourse (home to the world famous classic, The Derby) and on the road to Headley. Once a quiet back-water the village owes its very existence to the racing industry and was once home to a number of racing stables and many of the inhabitants of the village worked within the racing industry. Sadly, those days are almost gone and the village has seen many changes over the past few years.

So, here are just a few of my reminiscences of how life used to be in Langley Vale. . .

The modern history of Langley Vale dates from the late Victorian/early Edwardian times but there has been a farm at Langley Bottom since the early 13th century when Langley had an open field system with at least two large fields divided into furlongs. In a charter of Chertsey Abbey dated 1255/1268 the same land is shown as being held by William de Langley and by 1331/2 John at Ley of Headley is shown as holding the land. It has been suggested that Langley was originally a settlement with several tenants which later became a single farm which after the Black Death in the 14th century, disappeared from the map. Today, we know this farm by the name of Langley Bottom Farm.

Originally known as Langley Bottom, the village formed part of the Ashtead Park estate of the Hon. Mary Howard, who died in 1877. In 1888 the lands were eventually sold and the road patterns that we see today had been laid out and named. During the 1880s there were plans for the London to Reigate railway line to run through the village and it was possibly because of the coming of the railway that the village was originally developed, although these plans were later scrapped. Gas was laid to the village in 1900, the pipes being brought here by horse and cart. Sometime during the 1930s/1940s the name was changed from Langley Bottom to Langley Vale as this sounded more genteel.

My husband's parents moved to Langley Vale from Streatham in 1952 when they had No.73 Grosvenor Road built. His aunt and uncle (Mr. & Mrs. Cain) purchased the adjoining bungalow, No.75. I came to live in the village in 1970 although I had known it since the sixties. When I married I moved into No.73 Grosvenor Rd which my husband and I purchased from his parents when they retired. We lived there from 1971 till 1983 when moved elsewhere within the village. My husband attended the Village School and so did my two daughters.

Life in the village then was so different from today. The villagers kept chickens, ducks and all sorts of wildlife in their gardens. And, of course there were always dogs roaming around. I can still remember the smell of the pig swill being boiled down at the farm. Horses prevailed. Lots of kids in the village kept ponies - it was not unusual to come home to find a pony on the front lawn. And, of course, there was always the hazard of cars being kicked by a passing racehorse. I can recall villagers out with shovels picking up what the racehorses dropped - their manure was very good for the Roses! Jockeys and stable lads lodged in the village and, of course, horses took precedence on the roads. We never minded the inconvenience. Lets face it, if it hadn't been for the racing industry Langley Vale would probably not have existed. I also remember the Air Raid Siran at the bottom of Grosvenor Road which was often sounded to make sure it still worked. To me the village seemed much more 'greener' then, too. It is sad to see so many hedges have be grubbed out and replaced by hard landscaping. The village is still a great place for dog and horse lovers.

Winters can be harsh in the village. One winter we could not open the front door at No. 73 due to the snow that had drifted and banked-up to about 5 foot high in front of it. There have been many occasions in the past when the local bus cannot run due to the snows. Cars cannot get up or down the village roads and end up getting stuck in the snow. When this happens the only way to travel is to walk, and walk we do. In the early 1980s I can recall trudging across the downs knee deep in snow with other parents to collect the children of the village from St. Martin's School when there was no other way for them to get home. It was bitterly cold, but we made it. The kids enjoyed the adventure of trudging back across the downs in the snow drifts. Have you ever wondered why so many people in the village have 4 x 4s? No, they are not a fashion accessory, sometimes they are the only vehicles that are able to get out of the village when the snow comes. And yes, snow ploughs have had to clear the roads across the downs and we have been cut-off from the rest of the area.

Originally from the Midlands with Irish & Welsh parents, I have come to love the area I live in and now call the Village my home. I have heard it said that the village is not picturesque. To some extent I agree, but there is still plenty left to enjoy. So, in 2004 I decided to photograph the village before it changed yet again. Just take a few minutes to stop and look at our village in detail - you might be amazed at what is has to offer. The photos in the Photo Gallery show how the village looked in 2004 - 2005, sadly some of these buildings have already gone for redevelopment and I fear more will disappear in the years to come. There is also a Photo Gallery of pictures of Langley Vale Past and a page of memories of village life.

Langley Vale is a unique place so I feel very privileged to have been able to live here. I do hope visitors to this website will enjoy looking at the photos of our village and reading about our connections to the racing industry of Epsom.

I would like to thank the older residents of Langley Vale who shared their memories of life in the village for the book "Langley Vale, Memories of a Surrey Village" which was produced by the Langley Vale W.I. as part of the Millennium celebrations of 2000. Without their reminiscences this website would not have been possible.