Esher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the town. For the Myst V character, see Esher (Myst). Also there is the surname Escher.
| Esher | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Population: | 8,387 |
| Ordnance Survey | |
| OS grid reference: | TQ145645 |
| Administration | |
| District: | Elmbridge |
| Shire county: | Surrey |
| Region: | South East England |
| Constituent country: | England |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom |
| Other | |
| Ceremonial county: | Surrey |
| Historic county: | Surrey |
| Services | |
| Police force: | Surrey Police |
| Fire and rescue: | {{{Fire}}} |
| Ambulance: | South East Coast |
| Post office and telephone | |
| Post town: | ESHER |
| Postal district: | KT10 |
| Dialling code: | 01372 |
| Politics | |
| UK Parliament: | Esher and Walton |
| European Parliament: | South East England |
| Image:Flag of England.svg | |
Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a suburban development situated 14.1 miles (22.7 km) south west of Charing Cross. The name of the town is pronounced /iːʃə/ (not /ɛʃə/).
Contents |
[edit] History
It grew as a stagecoach stop on the London–Portsmouth road that was later designated as the A3 road, although it was bypassed in the mid-1970's.
In the sixteenth century, Henry VIII of England commandeered the area as a royal hunting ground, and the town remained wealthy. Clive of India built the Claremont mansion, and this later became a royal residence used by Queen Victoria. Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg lived there until he became King of the Belgians. Queen Victoria lent the house to the exiled French King Louis-Philippe and his consort Queen Marie-Amelie after the revolution of 1848.
George Harrison of the Beatles had a house (called Kinfauns) in Esher, during the 1960s. The other Beatles were regular visitors to the house, and Harrison's primitive home recording studio.
Sandown Park racecourse lies in the town near to its station (served by the Waterloo via Weybridge service). The town itself is now primarily a dormitory town for commuters to London.
The local newspaper is the Esher News and Mail
[edit] References to Esher in Popular Culture
Monty Python has referred to Esher at least three times In Episode 9 of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a troupe member dressed as an "African Native" (inappropriately by today's standards) said "Full frontal nudity? Not in this part of Esher." In Episode 31, a tourist played by Eric Idle complaining about package holidays ranted about "middle-class stockbrokers' wives busily buying identical holiday villas in suburban development plots just like Esher, in case the Labour government gets in again…" In Episode 36, a character played by Michael Palin was complaining about a rare disease that affected his use of language and stated "It's so embarrassing when my wife and I go to an orgy." John Cleese's character responded: "A party?" Palin responded "No, an orgy. We live in Esher."
In the Doctor Who episode "Black Orchid," several characters believe Nyssa's home planet of Traken to be near Esher. One character states that Nyssa's lack of knowledge of Esher shows good taste.
[edit] Transport
- See also the A307, Portsmouth Road.
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] External links
