Pictures of Leatherhead

About Leatherhead

This is an ancient town, where the parish church of St.Mary and St.Nicholas has existed since Anglo-Saxon times. The town developed on the banks of the delightful River Mole, where it carves its way through the north downs. One of the loveliest sights in the town is the stunning multi-arched bridge spanning the clear, sparkling waters of the Mole.

There is a small atmospheric town centre where some of the finest buildings include the historic Running Horse Inn, built in the 15th-century. Elizabeth I, as Princess Elizabeth is said to have stayed the night here, owing to the Mole being in flood and impossible to cross. There are also tales of smugglers using the inn as a frequent meeting place. The inn retains much of its historic character, and provides a relaxing friendly place for visitors to enjoy lunch or an evening meal.

Leatherhead has been the home of some famous people, amongst these are the Beaverbrook family, Marc Bolan and Kevin Williams, the Home Doctor. It is the burial place of Sir Anthony Hawkins (1863-1933) who as Anthony Hope wrote The prisoner of Zenda and created the Kingdom of Ruritania. This is also the town where John Wesley preached his last sermon a few days prior to his death at the age of 88, the year was 1791.

The town is famous for its Royal School for the Blind, this was established in 1799 and went to become one of the largest of its kind in the world. The school, as seeAbility, was visited by the late Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1995, almost two hundred years after its inception.