Leatherhead factfile

How to get to Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a small town in the county of Surrey. Its close proximity to London means it is well served by bus and rail. By road it's just off junction 9 of the M25 motorway, and it's on the principal A24 route between the capital and the south coast.

Leatherhead through the ages
Thought to be of Saxon origin, Leatherhead is mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Leddrede", meaning "place where people can ride across the river". In 1248 Henry III granted the town a weekly market and annual fair, and from then on commerce blossomed.

History has it that Elizabeth I spent a night at Leatherhead Inn, due to floods preventing her from crossing the River Mole.

Leatherhead became part of the UK motorway system in 1986 when the M25 was built to the north. Leatherhead is in fact junction 9.

Shopping in Leatherhead
An excellent place to shop, the compact town centre means that everything is within easy reach and many shops are accessible in a traffic-free environment. The Swan Shopping Centre is home to a plethora of high-street names.

Eating and drinking in Leatherhead
Leatherhead has developed a reputation as an excellent place for eating out. The range and quality of local restaurants, pubs and caf?s has increased to provide venues for all occasions and all times of the day.

Famous people from Leatherhead
Leatherhead was home to Donald Campbell, who broke land and water speed records in the 1960s. It is home to Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi, and former British tennis number one and current Davis Cup captain, Jeremy Bates.

Things to see and do around Leatherhead
Leatherhead sits in delightful landscape, with the River Mole providing an appealing corridor for walkers through the Mole Gap and into the Surrey Hills. Scenic Norbury Park, Mickleham Downs and Fetcham Downs are all within easy walking distance.

Famous Landmarks in Leatherhead
Lying about 6 km /4 mi south of Leatherhead is Box Hill, famed for its stunning panoramic views over the local landscape to Sussex.

Nearby Polesden Lacey is a magnificent Regency villa, where King George VI and his new bride (later Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) spent part of their honeymoon in 1923.

Sport and leisure in Leatherhead
The Leatherhead Leisure Centre includes football and cricket pitches, three indoor swimming pools and a large multi-use sports hall. The town also boasts a hi-tech gym, a lawn tennis club, a golf club, and horse riding at one of the area's many stables.

Leatherhead's claim to fame
Not a lot of people know that Michael Caine, double Oscar-winning actor and icon of British cinema, is a resident of Leatherhead.