Saffron Walden is a small market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located 12 miles (19 km) north of Bishop's Stortford, 15 miles (24 km) south of Cambridge and approx 35 miles (56 km) north of London. The town retains a picturesque, rural appearance and many very old buildings dating from the medieval period onwards. In 2001 the parish had a population of 15,095.

1 History
2 Sites and buildings of interest
3 Notable births and residents
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

There has been a village on or near the site of present day Saffron Walden since before the Roman occupation of Britain, when Bronze and Iron Age tribes settled in the area. After the Romans withdrew from the country, a flourishing Anglo-Saxon town was established.

With the Norman invasion of 1066, a stone church was built. The castle was constructed c.1141. A Priory, later to become Walden Abbey, was also founded under the patronage of Geoffrey de Mandeville, first Earl of Essex: the abbey was separated from the town of Walden by Holywell Field, which was enclosed in the sixteenth century to form part of the park of Audley End, the house of Sir Thomas Audley, who converted the abbey cloisters to a dwelling c. 1538-44. The inner or Little Court of the seventeenth-century house corresponds to one of the cloisters.

In 1141 the area’s market was transferred to the town from nearby Newport, further increasing the area’s influence. The town’s first charter was granted in 1300. This early town was known as Chipping Walden. The town was at first largely confined to the castle's outer bailey, but in the 13th century the Battle or Repell Ditches were built or extended, to enclose a new larger area to the south. The focus of the town moved southwards to Market Square.

In the medieval period the primary trade in Saffron Walden was in wool. However, in the 16th century and 17th century the saffron crocus (crocus sativus) became widely grown in the area. The flower was precious, as extract from the stigmas, the saffron, was used in medicines, as a condiment, as a perfume and as an expensive yellow dye. This industry gave its name to the town and Chipping Walden became Saffron Walden.

By the end of the 18th century the saffron flower was no longer in such demand, and the flower was replaced by malt and barley. In the 1830s there were more than 30 maltings and breweries running. Although this trade was not so rewarding as the saffron, the town continued to grow throughout the 19th century, having a cattle market and building a library and other civic buildings. During this time Quakers became very active in Saffron Walden, the most influential family being the Gibsons, who aided in the construction of several buildings that remain today, such as the museum [1] and the Town Hall.

Today, Saffron Walden is a flourishing, beautiful and historic town. Because it has never been sacked or destroyed by fire, many of the buildings, streets and features, especially in the centre of town, date back centuries. Although the 1900s brought many changes and expansion, the character of the town and the valley in which it sits remains strongly intact.

[edit] Sites and buildings of interest

Image:Saffron Walden Turf Maze Diagram.png

Image:Saffron walden maze.jpg

Image:Walden castle.jpg

Saffron Walden is home to the largest parish church in Essex. St. Mary and the Virgin dates mainly dates from the end of the 15th century, when the previously existing and smaller church was extensively rebuilt in flint. In 1769 it was damaged by lightning and the repairs, carried out in the 1790s, removed many of the medieval features. The present spire was added in 1832 to replace an older ‘lantern’ tower. The church is 183 feet (56 m) long and the spire 193 feet (59 m) high.

Saffron Walden also features the ruins of the 12th century Walden Castle, which is thought to have been built by Geoffrey de Mandeville, the Second Earl of Essex. After the medieval period, the castle fell slowly into disuse and much of the flint was taken and used in the construction of local houses. All that remains today is the ruined central keep.

Nearby to the castle is the Maze, a series of circular excavations cut into the turf of the common. It is the largest turf maze in England, the main part being about 100 feet (30 m) in diameter. The earliest record of it was in 1699, and it has been extensively restored several times, most recently in 1979.

There is also a hedge maze nearby off Castle Street. Access can be obtained from the local tourist information office.

Also there is the Catholic Church on Castle Street which is highly attractive.

Another tourist attraction is Audley End, a manor house built by the Earl of Suffolk in the seventeenth century on the site of the medieval Walden Abbey, which had been rebuilt by Sir Thomas Audeley. When first constructed, the house was one of the largest in England. However, two thirds of it was later demolished when it was found to be difficult to maintain. The house and gardens are now owned by English Heritage and are open to the public.

Nearby Audley End is the Audley End Miniature Railway, which is a 10 ¼" gauge railway ride through woodland.The ride is 1.5 miles long and has been part of the Saffron Walden landscape since it was opened in 1964. It is a popular site with children.

At the north edge of the town are Bridge End Gardens, which date from the 1840s and were originally laid out by Francis Gibson, a member of the locally well-known Gibson family who were eminent Quakers, bankers and brewers.

Other sites include the common, the Corn Exchange (now a library) and the market square around which a number of buildings of historical interest are centred. Market Days are Tuesdays and Saturdays.

[edit] Notable births and residents

Sir Thomas Smith, a 16th century scholar and diplomatist, born in 1513.
Dick Turpin, the notorious highwayman, born nearby in the village of Hempstead in 1705.
Henry Winstanley, creator of the first Eddystone Lighthouse, born in nearby Littlebury.
Diana Wynne Jones, British author, attended The Friends' School from 1946 to 1952.
Tom Robinson, British Songwriter and Performer, attended The Friends' School from 1961 to 1967.