Is it important to retain the history of an area when you are a developer building new build properties?

At Oakton we think it is. We think we have a responsibility to our lovely town and community to not only build attractive looking new builds, that are sympathetic to the area, but also to make sure the history of what was originally there is remembered too.
With our last few developments in Epsom we have tried to tie in a connection to the name of the development with the street or area we are building in.

Elizabeth Place

This development in Pitt Road, Epsom was named after Elizabeth Welchman who was the owner occupier of Down Lodge in 1900. She also owned a cottage and Chalk pit on Downs road at this time, and this is where The Elizabeth Welchman gardens off Downs Road are located.

Elizabeth Place - Balcony

View towards Pitt Place from No 6 Elizabeth Place

Chossy House and Osborne Close

Original building at 168 East Street Epsom owned by C.T Osborne ( Chossy ) Ltd

Archive picture of C.T Osborne Leatherworks Epsom

Located at 168 East Street Epsom, this was the site of a leather works factory owned by Mr Charles Thomas Osborne. Mr Osborne and his factory were best known for designing and producing the Chossy saddle bag, which is small cylindrical leather bag that strapped just under the saddle of a push bike. As we completed the buildings on this site I wrote to a relative of Charles Osborne who still lived in the area and since then we have had 2 of the Osborne family members visit Chossy House and Osborne Close and meet with the new residents. In September this year Mr Charles Osborne’s granddaughter is visiting from Australia and is going to come and see what we have built.
Keeping the Osborne and Chossy names alive also lead to a local historian contacting us and enabled us to put him in touch with the Osborne family. He has since been able to expand on the amazing history of this local family. Find out more about the Osborne Family story here

Brass plaque for C.T Osborne ( Chossy) Ltd on display at Chossy House Epsom

C.T Osborne ( Chossy) Ltd Brass plaque saved from the original building. This was cleaned and mounted on wood by Oakton’s Site manager and is now displayed in the lobby of Chossy House

 

Henrietta Close

This development of 6 detached houses in Woodlands Road, on the edge of Epsom Common was named after Henrietta Langton Strange who was the lady of the Manor at Wells House. In 1936 the Council bought the main Common from Henrietta Langton Strange for £4,000.
On this occasion is was thought better not to use the family surname, as we didn’t think that people would be drawn to buying their next house in “ Strange Place or Strange Close”

Woodland track

Beautiful Epsom Common

 

Ransley House

Our latest development of 5 two bedroom apartments at 91 East Street in Epsom. This is named after Joseph Ransley Tanton
Epsom Nurseries was a prominent and thriving business in East Street in the 19th Century. Joseph Ransley Tanton was one of the nursery owners over the years. He was responsible for the landscaping of Epsom cemetery. He died in 1878 and the Morse family took over the Nursery. However Joseph’s wife continued to run a flower and seed shop in East Street until 1911.
The first banana plants to arrive in England came from Mauritius in 1829, after spending some time in Bury hill Dorking they were sold to the then nursery owners Messrs Young of East Street. One of these banana plants was then sold to William George Spencer Cavendish who resided in Chatsworth House. His head gardener Joseph Paxton raised and bred this banana plant in the greenhouses at Chatsworth house, giving it the name Musa Cavendishii. The Cavendish banana is now one of the most commercially exploited banana variety due to its excellent transport and shelf life properties.

Front cover of teh Ransley House Brochure a grey background with a dandalion and its seeds blowing accross the page

Ransley House Brochure Cover

As a property developer and as residents in Epsom we consider ourselves very lucky to live and build in a town with such a fascinating history.