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Town in Essex, England
Photo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Saffron Walden is a market town in Essex, East Anglia. It's 15 miles south of Cambridge and 46 miles north of London so it's commuterland for both, and in 2021 had a population of 16,600. The town is named for the spice once cultivated here, but its main attraction today is Audley End House and Gardens.
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Explore more than 2 million years of Essex's history and pre-history at Saffron Walden Museum. Meet Wallace the Lion, thought to be the first lion bred into captivity in Britain, who arrived in Saffron Walden in 1838, or the bivalve mollusc which lived in the Red Crag sea millions of years ago. Check the website for exhibitions.
The Fry Art Gallery celebrates the art and design by 20th and 21st-century artists - foremost are the Great Bardfield group including Edward Bawden, Eric Ravilious.
St Mary the Virgin is the largest church in Essex, and larger than some English cathedrals. Its spire towers 193 ft (59 m) above the entrance. A stone church dates back to at least 1130 and was rebuilt several times — in the 1200s and 1400s. Former MP R A "Rab" Butler (1902-1982), architect of the Education Act 1944, is buried in the churchyard.
2.7-hectare ornamental Dutch garden with a hedge maze, laid out from 1828, and restored to its 1870s heyday.
Magnificent "prodigy" house: as Elizabeth I toured the country, nobles vied to create mansions suitable for her and all the courtiers and retinue. This house, created from the dissolved Walden Abbey, did so in 1578. "I know, I'll smash it all down and make a much bigger one" reasoned the Earl of Suffolk. He hosted King James I here, the least he could do since he'd embezzled royal funds to pay for it. Charles II owned it for a time. Over the 18th century Sir John Vanbrugh whittled it down to a third of its sprawl, and this is the version you see nowadays. Capability Brown landscaped the gardens. The "Temple of Concord" seen east is a mock-ruin built in 1791 to celebrate King George III's recovery from insanity, which didn't last long but they kept the "folly".
10 1⁄4 in (260 mm)-gauge railway opened in 1964, on a 1 1⁄2 mile circuit of the woods by the House.
It is on the west side of town at Windmill Hill. White tees 6608 yards, par 72, visitor round £60.
Reliable quality Indian meals.
Grand pub for trad fare.
This long-standing Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant gets mixed reviews.
Good modern Turkish restaurant.
Pleasant pub-restaurant in a half-timbered 16th century building.
Wetherspoon pub with food, understaffed and lukewarm reviews.
a trad boozer
Local community-owned pub. It is accredited under the CAMRA LocAle Scheme to promote pubs that sell locally-brewed real ale.
17-room hotel which they're trying to run with next-to-no staff. Even getting into the place has defeated several travellers.
14th- to 15th-century coaching inn with 6 bedrooms. A takeover in 2022 by New English Inns has really boosted this place, good service and comfort.
Good reliable budget chain.
It's more like a Nordic chalet, with tasteful pine, sauna and pool, and earns great reviews for comfort and service.
Saffron Walden has hosted a market since 1141. Now a Tuesday and Saturday market in the square, with a range independent traders, including fresh seafood, olives, cheeses, vegetables and clothes, as well as take-away food.
Part of London's famous Daunt Books company, this cosy bookshop stocks fiction, history, travel, children's, cookery and more.
A long-established independent, traditional toy shop in the town centre, full of models, soft toys, puzzles and more.
Collectables and consoles, games, puzzles and models, also toys, at a much-loved High Street shop.
A Giant/Liv specialist cycle shop, with accessories and tools to suit riders of all bikes and types.
Independent, fashionable record and art shop near the Market Place, with a range of genres for all tastes.
Independent beer shop which showcases brewers from across the UK and Europe.
A family-run butcher's firm since 1953, which started life in Hunstanton, Norfolk, but moved to Saffron Walden in 1984.
Independent fish shop and seafood deli in George Street, with fresh fish from Billingsgate Market in London and British suppliers
By train
Saffron Walden's nearest railway station is Audley End which lies around west of the town. It is part of the National Rail network throughout Great Britain.
By bus
Most buses into Saffron Walden call at the High Street, with stops also near The Common and Tesco. The Travel Essex website features a journey planner for local routes.
By road
Saffron Walden is set back from the major road network. Routes into the town are:
By bike
Saffron Walden is surrounded by rolling hills, with some moderate and steep climbs on routes into the town. Cycling will almost always require using roads with motor traffic.
Everything is within walking distance, including Audley End one mile west.
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