Town

Leatherhead is a town with its own special character. This is a combination of its geography and the long history of its development from manorial estates to a town serving a local population and hinterland of some 42,000 people. There are many elements that make up the distinctive character of the town. The location of the River Mole running in a corridor past the town centre and into the Surrey Hills is one of the most picturesque of these elements. The river influenced the form and evolution of many of the streets, the functions of its key buildings and the layout of roads.

The human history of Leatherhead has also left its mark. Benefactors, people of wealth and foresight and some of the great artistic figures of bygone times have left their mark in buildings, street names, open spaces and traditions.

However, Leatherhead is a place that has incorporated change and evolution with the best of its past to produce the town with unique appeal. This is the result of the interplay of a wide range of different elements: the river, the buildings of special architectural or historic interest ranging from the early medieval church to the Theatre of 1969, the irregular pattern of streets and open spaces, the monuments and the modern shopping facilities in the Swan Centre, the tight urban fabric and the undulating landscape of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Leatherhead is a place that is worthy of careful exploration. This section of the web site provides some background to encourage a better understanding of the nature of the town and its special appeal.