Trains to Worcester Park

In the mid-19th century, Worcester Park - then a 1,000-acre green - was due to be divided up into farms. But in 1859 the Wimbledon to Epsom line arrived in the area, and a new station sparked a wave of residential development. The park was soon transformed into a small commuter town for well-off urbanites eager for a home in the country. Electrification followed in the 1920s, and the station was renovated in the 1930s in order to cater for the steady stream of new commuters attracted by fast connections to London Waterloo. Visitors should head to Central Road, a half-mile street lined with shops, restaurants, pubs and coffee shops. In 2011, Worcester Park was awarded £2m from the Mayor of London's Outer London Fund, and the money is being used to encourage the growth of business in the town centre. Former famous faces of Worcester Park include footballer Jimmy Hill, Conservative Prime Minister John Major and athlete Daley Thompson.