In 1618, a farmer on Epsom Common noticed something peculiar about a spring his cattle refused to touch. That observation would transform a quiet Surrey village into one of England's most fashionable health destinations and give the world a mineral remedy still found in medicine cabinets today.
The Discovery on the Common
The story of Epsom salts begins with Henry Wicker, a local farmer who, according to tradition, observed that his cattle would not drink from a slow spring on Epsom Common in 1618. While Wicker is credited with the discovery, local physicians had already noted the water's distinct properties in 1603, identifying what they termed "bitter purging salt" in its composition. In late-Elizabethan times, bathing in a pond west of the town centre was already believed to cure ulcers and other disorders.
The chemical substance that would make Epsom famous is magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, with the formula MgSO₄·7H₂O. It forms orthorhombic crystals that are colourless to white, relatively soft, and readily soluble in water. In 1695, Dr Nehemiah Grew published his formal study of the water's composition, establishing Epsom salts as a recognised medical remedy and bridging the gap between folk remedy and scientific medicine.
Building a Spa Town
The transformation from curiosity to destination happened swiftly. In 1621, the first facilities were erected: a wall built around the spring and a shed to shelter invalids who came to take the waters. By 1629, the spa had attracted its first documented international visitor when Abram Booth of the Dutch East India Company recorded his visit and described the effects of the water.
The mid-17th century brought further development. John Aubrey visited in 1654, boiled the water, and noted the "flakey" sediment that formed, describing it as "the colour of bay-salt." The diarist Samuel Pepys recorded two visits, in 1663 and 1667, noting the social scene that had developed around the wells. The theologian John Owen took the waters in 1668. Dorothy Osborne, writing in 1653, offered a more practical observation: the water had to stand overnight for the sediment to settle before drinking.
Royal Patronage and Social Elevation
The Restoration period marked Epsom's emergence as a fashionable resort. Charles II became a regular visitor, and it was at Epsom that he met Nell Gwyn, who would become his celebrated mistress. Prince George of Denmark, consort of Queen Anne, also visited the spa. This royal patronage transformed Epsom's reputation from a provincial curiosity to a destination worthy of the nation's elite.
Infrastructure followed social prestige. A regular coach service from London was established in 1684. In the 1690s, John Parkhurst, Lord of the Manor, began developing Epsom into a formal spa resort. The Assembly Rooms were constructed in the High Street in 1692. Around 1707, John Livingstone, an apothecary, opened a bowling green, gaming rooms, and a ballroom to entertain visitors. A second well was dug near the village centre to meet growing demand.
Not all visitors were impressed. Celia Fiennes, who toured England extensively, noted that the spring was "not a quick spring" and was often "drank drye." She also observed that locals sometimes adulterated the spa water with common well water to meet demand.
Decline and Reinvention
Epsom's spa era was relatively brief. By the mid-1720s, its popularity had declined rapidly. The collapse of the South Sea Bubble brought economic consequences that affected leisure travel, while competition from better-capitalised rivals such as Bath and Tunbridge Wells drew visitors away. The development of synthetic Epsom salts in the 1750s undermined the spa's unique appeal; visitors no longer needed to travel to obtain the remedy. Attempts to revive the spa in the 1760s proved unsuccessful.
What Remains Today
The physical traces of Epsom's spa history have largely disappeared. Around 1700, the Lord of the Manor enclosed a circular area of approximately 450 yards in diameter around the well. The spa buildings were demolished in 1884, and Oldwells Farm was established on the site. This farm was itself pulled down around 1885, when Wells House was constructed by James Stuart Strange. The land was sold for development in 1930, and the first 178 houses of the "Wells Estate" were erected in 1937. Wells House was converted to a residential nursery in 1953.
Today's visitor can still find markers of this history. The Epsom Well Wellhead was constructed in 1989 to mark the site of the original well on Epsom Common. The Assembly Rooms in the High Street, built in 1692, still stand. Epsom Common itself, where the story began, is now a 177.4-hectare Local Nature Reserve owned by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council and forms part of the Epsom and Ashtead Commons Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Legacy
Though the spa waters no longer draw visitors, Epsom's brief period as a health destination left a lasting mark. The town successfully reinvented itself around horse racing, with The Derby established in 1780 and The Oaks in 1779. Yet the name "Epsom salts" remains in global use, a reminder of the day a farmer noticed his cattle turning away from a peculiar spring on the common.
