 Cottages on Castle Street | ||
| Saffron Walden | ||
| county | Essex | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 15.504 (2011) | |
| Tourist info | 44 1799 524002 http://www.visitsaffronwalden.gov.uk/ | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Saffron Walden is a small market town in the northwest of Essex, about 26 km from Cambridge. The place is worth seeing for its colorful, medieval houses.
background
Traces of human settlement (e.g. tools) from the Stone and Bronze Ages have been found in the valley of the River Cam near Saffron Walden. The Ring Hill Camp west of the city dates from the Iron Age. There are no more traces of this fort. During the late Iron Age and the Roman occupation there were small settlements in the region. After the Romans left Britain, a larger Anglo-Saxon settlement emerged. At the time of the Norman conquest in 1066, Walden was a thriving manor. The Normans chose a strategically favorable place to build a castle. Walden Castle was built by Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex. In 1141 Empress Maud gave him market rights, which Newport had held until then. A town developed around the castle, the Church of St. Mary and Walden Abbey (now Audley End House) were built. During the Middle Ages, Saffron Walden was a bustling, wealthy town. As in many other cities in East Anglia, wool was also traded in saffron. Saffron was extracted from the pistil of the plant, which was used not only to dye wool, but also as a spice and remedy. The saffron business was at its peak during the 16th and 17th centuries, after which demand fell. In the 18th and 19th centuries people switched to malting. The crocus can still be found on the city's coat of arms today.
getting there
By plane
The London Stansted Airport is about 20 km south and is easily accessible by car.
By train
Audley End Railway Station at Wendens Ambo, about 3 miles from Saffron Walden, is the closest. Links to Liverpool Street Station in London, Stansted Airport and Cambridge.
By bus
- Lines 5 and 7 or 7a go from Stansted Airport to Saffron Walden. Timetable here.
In the street
- From London via the London Ring (M25) via the M11 towards Cambridge.
By boat
Harwich Harbor is around 100 km away. There are the following connections:
- With DFDS from Harwich to Esbjerg in Denmark
- With Stena Line to Hook of Holland
The port of Dover is approximately 175 km away. There are the following connections:
- With DFDS from Dover to Calais
- With DFDS from Dover to Dunkirk
- With P&O from Dover to Calais
- With My Ferry Link from Dover to Calais
mobility
The place is best explored on foot. A city tour is here to find.
Tourist Attractions
- Market Place. The best place to start a tour of the city is at Market Place. Around the square are beautiful houses such as the Georgian Town Hall, townhouses and the Corn Exchange, which is reminiscent of Italy and which is now used as a library. There is a drinking fountain in the square, which was built in 1863 to commemorate the wedding of the Prince of Wales to Princess Alexandra of Denmark.
- Old Sun Inn. The Old Sunn Inn (14th century) used to be a stagecoach station, today it houses a second hand bookshop. In the late 17th century the building was given an imaginative stucco decoration. A dancing crane can also be seen between the fruit, flowers and foliage. A scene with the local hero Tom Hickathrift, who vigorously beats the giant of Wisbech with a shield and a wheel, is particularly lively.
- Market Hill / Church Street
- Castle Street
- 1 Saffron Walden Museum, Museum Street. Tel.: 44 (0)1799 510333.
Open: March to October Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., November to February Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.Price: ₤ 1.50.
- 2 Walden Castle.
Apart from a remnant of the flint walls of the Norman keep, not much remains of the once mighty castle. The shape of the moat can still be seen in the course of the streets. Not much is known about the origins of the castle either. It was built between 1125 and 1141. The client was probably Geoffrey de Manderville. In 1158 the castle was made unusable as a military fortress on the orders of King Henry II after unrest among the population. Nevertheless, the castle remained inhabited for the next 100 years. In 1347 King Edward III. Humphrey de Bohun given permission to fortify the castle. What was built is unclear. Originally, most of the walls of the keep that are visible today were located within a heaped up mound of earth. In the 18th century, today's entrance was laid out in the southeast corner. A tower made of flint and bricks was also added in 1796.
- 3 Church of St. Mary the Virgin (Church of St Mary the Virgin).The church is one of the largest in Essex. It was almost completely rebuilt between 1450 and 1525 and replaces an older building. The exterior of the church is dominated by the tower with the helmet. The ship of St. Mary's comes from the two master builders who also built King's College Chapel in Cambridge have created. The ship is very high and has windows arranged in pairs in the Lichtgaden. Elaborate stone carvings can be seen around the arches, including the saffron crocus. The crocus can also be found in the stained glass of the windows and on the knee pillows. The wooden ceiling in the nave and aisles is still an original, the bosses are decorated with the Tudor rose, among other things. In 1769 the building was badly damaged by a lightning strike. Renovations were carried out in the 1790s. Many of the medieval elements were removed. The rood screen dates from 1924.
- The Common and Turf Maze. The Common is the oldest green space in town. The surrounding buildings date from Georgian times. This is in the eastern area Turf Maze (Lawn maze). It's about 800 years old, making it the oldest in England. It consists of complex turns, the narrow paths are paved with bricks. The paths are about 1.5 km long and end at a small grass hill. The earliest reference to the maze is from 1699, the document mentions payment for cutting. A special feature are the loops in the corners, which are reminiscent of ears. Why the labyrinth was created is unclear. It is believed that it was laid out by the monks from Walden Abbey as a pen layout and that the monks slid along the path on their knees.
- 4 Fry Art Gallery, Castle Street. Tel.: 44 (0)1799 513779.Open: Easter to October 27, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 2.15 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Audley End House and Gardens, London Road. Tel.: 44 (0)1799 522399. Open: March 29 to November 3, daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., November 4 to February 16, Saturday / Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (as of 2013).Price: ₤ 13.40.
activities
Walking and cycling
- various hikes and bike tours can be found here
- The bike path leads through nearby Finchingfield Picture Perfect Villages. Length 87 km.
Events
- In the summer in Audley Park End House concerts (classical, jazz, rock)
- Guy Fawkes Day fireworks on the Saturday closest to November 5th.
shop
- Tuesday and Saturday there is a market where products from the region can be bought
- there is a large supermarket on Hill Street
kitchen
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nightlife
accommodation
security
health
Community Hospital, Radwinter Road, Tel: 01799 562900
Practical advice
Postal code: CB10-11
Area code: 01799, from abroad 44 1799
- Tourist Information Center, at the Market Place. Tel.: 44 (0)1799 524002.
- 1 Post office, 41-45 High Street (in the Costcutter). Open: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
trips
To the "picture book villages":
- Castle Hedingham
- Finchingfield
- Great Bardfield
- Steeple Bumpstead
- Thaxted
various
- Duxford Chapel
- Horeham Hall (at Thaxted)
- Prior's Hall Barn
literature
Web links
- http://www.saffronwalden.gov.uk/ - Official website of Saffron Walden
- Tourism site of Saffron Walden
- official site of the Uttlesford District Council
- Visit Essex
