The neighbourhood of Ewell, nestled in the outer reaches of southwest London, has a quintessentially suburban feel to it, with a large proportion of semi detached housing, boasting modest gardens and driveways. With the number of highly rated schools that this area has to offer, serving children from nursery to secondary school age, it’s no surprise this neighbourhood proves to be particularly attractive to those with families. One of the particular draws of this area is its proximity to a large number of green and blue recreational spaces. Local favourites include the St Ann’s Hill Park and Nature Trail, as well as the plethora of lakes to the north of the neighbourhood, which offers the opportunity for both fishing and water sports. This fantastic access to nature isn’t the only draw of the neighbourhood, as it is also exceptionally well-served by local amenities, and with Ewell station allowing residents to access central London in just over an hour, it offers the perfect balance between the option of semi-rural living and the buzz of the nearby city!

There are a large number of listed buildings in the neighbourhood, with one being ‘The George’ pub on Guildford Street. The pub is Grade II-listed and is thought to be the oldest licensed premises in Surrey, dating all the way back to the 13th Century. Legend has it that the pub was so named after it was visited by King George III in the latter stages of the 18th Century. What’s more, the pub was also said to be used by the legendary, yet infamous, highwayman Dick Turpin during the 1700s.

Whilst writing his book Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens visited the nearby neighbourhood of Chertsey, and it provided inspiration for part of the book’s plot where Bill Sikes encouraged Oliver Twist to undertake a burglar. And this isn’t the only literary reference made to this neighbourhood! Edward Lear talked about Chertsey in A Book of Nonsense, which goes as follows: ‘There was an Old Lady of Chertsey, Who made a remarkable curtsey; She twirled round and round, Till she sank underground, Which distressed all the people of Chertsey!’

The main downside of this neighbourhood is its situation between the M25 and M3 motorways. Not only does this cause a significant amount of noise and air pollution, but during peak hours and at busy periods if there has been an accident, the roundabout junction located at the boundary of this neighbourhood can get congested. Despite this, residents often don’t mind this given the convenience that proximity to these roads provides.

Like many comparable rural suburbs the rate of development in Ewell is generally slow. This is partially because the residential centre of this area is flanked by greenbelt land on two sides. That being said, Esso is currently in the process of constructing an aviation fuel pipeline from the Fawley Refinery in Southampton all the way to Heathrow Airport. Construction began in 2021 and involves the pipe being taken through areas of Surrey, including this neighbourhood; which some residents have cited as a major source of disruption. On the western side of this neighbourhood the council has also proposed that vacant land on Hook Road should be used to help meet the boroughs housing targets, although no further plans have emerged since the original consultation.