Horton Lane

Horton Lane clockwise this morning, and at the half way point, at the Horton Golf Club, I was interested to come across the newly completed Jungle Island, a posh version of what used, at the seaside, to be called crazy golf.  At least it looked completed from the car park, but there may still be a bit of snagging to do to judge from the picture at http://hortonparkgolf.com/.

All looks rather swish, and might become more so as the jungle gardens mature a bit. Quite an impressive venture for a place which struggled a bit under its previous ownership. Just the place to park the wife and kids while one has a decent round of golf, all nineteen holes of it, with the chaps.

So Horton Lane is becoming quite a venue, with something for everybody. Starting from the southern end one has the Old Moat Garden Centre (http://www.theoldmoatgardencentre.org.uk), Horton Country Park, Epsom Equestrian (http://www.epsomridingschool.co.uk/), Horton Retail Park (only part occupied but boasting a small Tesco's), Hobbledown (http://www.hobbledown.com/), Horton Golf Club (including jungle) and finally Hook Road Arena for special attractions all year round - see especially http://www.hookcarbootsale.com/.

Epsom Equestrian is particularly good for those who want to learn to shout like a banker without, necessarily, having banker substance to back it up. You should hear them on the polo field. They even had a bar at one point but I think that got closed down by vandals. But the golf club does have one and I don't think that they fuss about membership; all money over the bar is good.

Mostly carved out from what was one of the Epsom asylums, from the days when their customers were encouraged to help with their keep by working on the farm, the central buildings of which now house the Hobbledown people. Deemed in the 70's to be tantamount to slavery by the unions of the day.