TOWN AND COUNTRY: Esher & Claygate

Normally among Surrey’s most cosmopolitan towns, Esher may be a little quieter than usual at the moment but it’s a place that’s still packed full of fascinating history, beautiful scenes and creative communities :

- James Knighton

The Elmbridge town of Esher really came to prominence in the 16th century, when Henry VIII commandeered the area as a hunting ground and prominent people began building their go-to country pads in the area. It established a trend that carries on to this day.

One of the most obvious nods towards the king’s legacy, of course, is the magnificent Hampton Court Palace, which is found less than 10-minutes’ drive from the town centre alongside the River Thames.

There is plenty more historic architecture to be found, if you know where to look, with the likes of the Wayneflete Tower gatehouse, which once formed part of the Palace of Esher; Esher Place, a Grade-II listed country house that’s acted as a training college for the Unite trade union since 1953; and Capability Brown’s mansion built for Lord Clive of India, Claremont House, which was bought by the nation in 1816 as a wedding present for George IV’s daughter Princess Charlotte and her husband Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg. The latter saw regular visits from Queen Victoria, as she made her escapes from London. It’s now home to Claremont Fan Court School.

Famously, The Beatles’ George Harrison and his first wife Pattie Boyd lived at Kinfauns in Claremont Drive in the 1960s. John, Paul, Ringo and the gang would visit to record at his home studio. A blue plaque marks the home. These days, the rich and famous tend to live around Esher’s secluded Blackhills, Esher Park Avenue and Claremont private estates, all within easy reach of the town centre.