The area is on the northern slope of the
North Downs. It was formerly used largely for cattle pasture, sheep farming and wood gathering. By the 1770s, Tattenham Corner was the established name for the top section of the relatively new
Epsom Racecourse on
Epsom Downs.
Emily Davison . The events involving Davison occur between 5:51 and 6:15. On 4 June 1913 Emily Davison obtained two flags bearing the
suffragette colours of purple, white and green from the WSPU offices; she then travelled by train to
Epsom, Surrey, to attend the
Derby. She positioned herself in the
infield at Tattenham Corner, the final bend before the
home straight. At this point in the race, with some of the horses having passed her, she ducked under the guard rail and ran onto the course; she may have held in her hands one of the suffragette flags. She reached up to the reins of Anmer—
King George V's horse, ridden by
Herbert Jones—and was hit by the animal, which would have been travelling at around per hour, four seconds after stepping onto the course. Anmer fell in the collision and partly rolled over his jockey, who had his foot momentarily caught in the stirrup. Davison was knocked to the ground unconscious; some reports say she was kicked in the head by Anmer, but the surgeon who operated on Davison stated that "I could find no trace of her having been kicked by a horse". Bystanders rushed onto the track and attempted to aid Davison and Jones until both were taken to the nearby
Epsom Cottage Hospital. Davison was operated on two days later, but she never regained consciousness; while in hospital she received hate mail. She died on 8 June from a
fracture at the base of her skull. ==Topography of Tattenhams==