Epsom Downs Racecourse sits high on the chalk downs of Surrey, about 16 miles south of central London. It is the spiritual home of the Derby — the race that gave its name to derbies the world over — and on Derby Day the free-to-enter Downs become one of the great gatherings of the English summer.
This guide covers the course’s history, the Derby Festival, the unique horseshoe track, the wider calendar and how to get there without the Derby-Day traffic swallowing your morning.
A short history of the course
Racing has taken place on Epsom Downs since the early 1600s, but it was the running of the first Derby in 1780 — named after the 12th Earl of Derby — and the Oaks the year before that made the course world-famous. The Derby quickly became the race every owner dreamed of winning, and it remains the centrepiece of the British flat season.
The big meeting: the Derby
The Derby Festival each June is the highlight: the Oaks on the Friday, the Cazoo Derby on the Saturday, and huge crowds spread across the grandstands and the open Downs. It is a day of top-class racing and great spectacle, with the inner Downs free to enter — which is exactly why the approach roads are so busy.
The course & the experience
Epsom is one of the most distinctive tracks in racing: a horseshoe-shaped mile and a half with a stiff climb, the sharp left-hand sweep of Tattenham Corner and a cambered downhill run that tests balance as much as speed. There is nowhere quite like it.
The wider racing calendar
Beyond the Derby, Epsom runs summer evening meetings and family fixtures through the warmer months — relaxed, well-priced days out with the same wonderful views across the Downs.
Getting to Epsom Downs
Epsom Downs sits about 16 miles from central London, postcode KT18 5LQ, reached via the A24 and M25.
By road
From London it is the A24 or A3 to the M25 and on to Epsom; on Derby Day the lanes around the Downs are extremely busy and timed routing applies. Official car parks should be pre-booked for the big meetings and fill early, and the queue to leave after the last race is the worst part of the day.
By train
Epsom, Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner stations all serve the course, with trains from London Waterloo and Victoria in around 40 minutes, then a walk up to the track — fine, though packed on Derby Day.
By air, and the private-hire alternative
For visitors arriving by air, Epsom Downs is reachable from Gatwick and Heathrow among others. Rather than gamble on a shuttle queue or rideshare surge when the crowd leaves at once, a fixed-fare transfer to Epsom Downs collects you at the door, drops as close to the gate as permitted and has a driver arranged for the exit.
The calm way to do race day
Fixed-price, pre-booked transfers to Epsom Downs (KT18 5LQ) — executive cars for couples, MPVs and minibuses for groups, no surge and no late-night premium. Your driver is allocated when you book and set down as close to the gate as the traffic plan allows, with the pickup arranged in advance for the exit.
Get a fixed Epsom farePractical race-day tips
- Arrive early on Derby Day. The Downs fill fast and the lanes jam; an early start means a calmer entry.
- Sort the exit before you go. A pre-arranged pickup point removes the worst of the post-race crush.
- Dress for the Downs. It is high and open — bring a layer even in June.
- Travel as a group. One minibus for a party is cheaper per head and keeps everyone together.