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Built on the site of the famous Epsom spa, the Assembly Rooms originally housed a tavern, a coffee shop, a shop, gambling tables in the ground floor room of the rear range, and space for dancing in the Long Room above.

Visitors could relax in the gardens, bowling green and cockpit to the rear.

A sizeable collection of bottles, tankards and pipes were found in a pit in these grounds. They were discarded in the 1720s when the reputation of this social hub was in decline.

The Assembly Rooms are important as the earliest known surviving building of this type in England.

Photography: Brian Wood. © Bourne Hall Museum

This is one of our History of Surrey in 50 Objects. It was chosen from around 150 items suggested by the Curators and Collections Officers of Surrey Museums to represent a moment, person or event which shaped or changed our county.

Visit the Explore Our Collections page on this site to see all 50 objects.