About
Gallery
Parking
Poo bins?
Self-guided walk
About
Epsom Downs, part of the North Downs, is best known as the home of the Epsom Downs Racecourse and the prestigious Epsom Derby, which attracts thousands of spectators every year and was attended by Queen Elizabeth most years of her reign.
The area is steeped in racing history and has been a favoured place to train since the 1640s. The first official race here took place in 1661, although it’s likely that racing was established earlier than that. It was on Epsom Downs in 1769 that the famous racehorse, Eclipse, was trained and won his first race, which consisted of three heats of four miles each. Apparently it was an easy win for this thoroughbred, who went on to sire over 300 more winners after he retired.
Today, Epsom Downs continues to be home to successful training grounds with over 150 horses in training. Horses exercise on the Downs every morning until 12 noon and all dogs must be kept on a lead during this time. After this, it’s fine to allow them off if you keep them under control.
It is also a great place to walk with a variety of trails and lovely views of the countryside.
The Gallery: What’s it like here?
Parking
There are several car parks around Epsom Downs, but the one you want for the walk on this page is inside the racecourse grounds and called the 7th Furlong car park by most online navigation apps (some call it the 8th Furlong car park though.)
GOOGLEMAPS LINK: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fLJL6zLyYMaA393M6
WHAT3WORDS: https://w3w.co/scuba.brains.this
NEAREST POSTCODE: KT18 5PP but it doesn’t take you directly to the car park
When I ran a walk here in November 2023, we discovered that the access road to the 7th Furlong car park is apparently no longer recognised by Googlemaps so the direct link above might not take you there. The post code should take you to what was once a Beefeater pub – although it’s now closed, it is clearly an old pub building. From there, follow these directions:
- This pub is by a small roundabout from which there is a road going into the racecourse
- IGNORE THE TWO CAR PARKS BY THAT LITTLE ROUNDABOUT (both have little huts in them)
- Drive INTO THE RACECOURSE, following the access road around the edge of the course to the car park, which will be on the right
Poo bins?
At the car park and a few around the race course.
Self-guided walk
Here is a Footpath app route from the 7th Furlong car park. Also on AllTrails. It skirts the edge of Epsom Downs and takes you through the racecourse, including along front of the Queen Elizabeth II stand and the Grandstand.
Length: approximately 2.5 miles/3.96 km
Terrain: Undulating walk with slopes up and down. Very simple route, mostly through open grassland with little shelter from the sun during the summer and the wind during the winter, although there is a little stretch along the edge of a wood. Paths range from surfaced to mud/grass – can be wet in the colder months.
Stiles/kissing gates? No stiles or kissing gates
Park in the 7th Furlong car park and walk to the far end of the car park, keeping the white barriers of the racecourse to your left. You can either take the little path from the corner of the car park or exit through the vehicle entrance and walk along the access road, again with the white barriers on your left.
At the junction, turn left to pass through the white barriers.
Pass through the second barriers and continue ahead to the next junction of paths and keep straight ahead on the main one, which runs alongside a small patch of woodland (on the right.) It’s straight on at the cross paths next to the fingerpost and bin.
When you get to the fork with a fingerpost, go right. This comes to a junction where there is a house-like building ahead and slightly right. Turn right here.
The path goes downhill, passing the ends of some residential roads (to the left), then rises back up to the white barriers again. Cross between these and continue straight ahead on the grass until you get to the sandy path cutting across your way. Turn left and walk along here with the trees on your right and the open grass to the left.
Stay on this path as it skirts the trees and bends round to the right. When the treeline falls away, keep going straight and pass along the bottom of the racecourse with its tall white fence. At the end of the fence (by the bin), continue straight ahead on the grass path towards the stand buildings in the distance.
When you get to the main gravel/sandy perimeter path, turn right and keep the trees to your left. At the junction, go straight across towards the stands and turn right at the next T-junction to walk parallel with the racecourse, which is on your left flanked by white barriers.
Stay on this long, straight path, ignoring any options either side (including a ‘subway’ that goes under the racecourse) until you get to the corner where the access road enters the racecourse and there is a white vehicle barrier.
Turn right and follow this gravel/surfaced path away from the road and back to the other side of the racecourse. You’ll see the car park over to your left. When you near the end of the path, there is a small path to the left across the grass back to the car park – or you can go to the junction and turn left to walk along the access road and go in the vehicle entrance.
Walks with Rena 
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