Ewell is a village in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, close to the southern boundary of Greater London. It is located 14 miles (22.5 km) south-south-west of Charing Cross and forms part of the suburbia that surrounds Greater London. Despite its growing population it is still referred to as a village by locals and largely maintains a rural character. Ewell is at the head of the Hogsmill river, a tributary of the River Thames, and the spring has likely been considered sacred dating back into pre-history. Neighbouring towns and villages include Cheam, Chessington, Epsom, Stoneleigh and Tolworth. In August 2005 the borough of Epsom and Ewell was rated the most desirable place to live in the United Kingdom by the British television programme The Best and Worst Place to Live in the UK, although in 2006 it dropped to 8th place. The borough's low crime rate, good education results and large number of open spaces were all cited as especially attractive features, although it lost marks due to a 'lack of entertainment facilities'. One of Ewell's most notable landmarks is the architecturally impressive Bourne Hall, situated in the centre of the village. Originally the site of Garbrand Hall, a large country mansion, Bourne Hall is now a modernist circular structure with a central glass dome, and is surrounded by an attractive public park. The building, which is reminiscent of an immense flying saucer, hosts a public library, subterranean theatre, gymnasium, cafe, and local museum. It regularly holds gatherings such as fayres, Yoga and Karate lessons. Ewell has a Parish Church (Saint Mary the Virgin, Ewell), which was designed by Henry Clutton and consecrated in 1848. It is home to the 1889 'Father' Henry Willis pipe organ. Around the village there are a number of schools, including Ewell Grove Infant and Nursery School, Glyn Technology School and Ewell Castle School (a past pupil was Oliver Reed), as well as the North-East Surrey College of Technology. Ewell has an unusually large telephone exchange, next door to the Spring pub, which was fitted with underground facilities designed to survive a nuclear conflict during the late years of the Cold War. More on Ewell