Horse margin and equestrian crossing, Langley Vale Road

Image: © Hugh Craddock Taken: 26 Dec 2011

The horse margin was created in the 1990s, parallel to Langley Vale Road, to provide a safer route to and from the training gallops on Epsom and Walton Downs, for horses in training at the yards on Headley Road, and in Image Technically, the margin was recorded as a public bridleway (Epsom and Ewell bridleway 146/Leatherhead bridleway 599). The crossing shown across Langley Vale Road here enables the riders of horses in training (and the odd walker, cyclist or leisure rider who comes this way) to cross from the margin, and Image, to Image, which gives access to yards in Headley Road. Barely visible, on the right hand side of the horse margin beyond the crossing, is a high level push button unit mounted on a pole, which is accessible to mounted riders, and which changes the lights after a very short, fixed delay (no waiting for a break in the traffic!), and which keeps the lights at red (to traffic) for longer than the usual interval, to allow a string of racehorses to cross. There is a similar facility mounted a short way along Chalk Pit Road.

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