Saffron Walden - market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England

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 16,613. The town is named for the spice once cultivated here, but its main attraction today is Audley End House and Gardens.

Understand

Saffron is a red-gold spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, which has vivid crimson stigma and styles. The plant is sometimes called "autumn crocus" (which is also the name of a poisonous plant) and is sterile because its chromosomes are triploid. It's therefore unknown in the wild and is artificially propagated by splitting its corms. All plants are therefore clones of an ancient ancestor, created maybe 4000 years ago somewhere in the east Mediterranean - za'farān is Arabic for "golden". The stigma or "threads" are harvested by hand, and it takes 40 hours of labour to pick 150,000 flowers to yield one kilo of saffron. That kilo will cost you over £10,000 at the Cash & Carry, but fortunately only a few threads suffice to impart colour and flavour to a dish, and a gram should last a while. Although it prefers a semi-arid climate, the saffron crocus was successfully cultivated in East Anglia, with its peak in the 16th and 17th centuries. Saffron then lost out to cheaper flavourings and colourings, both from imports and from synthetics, and labour shortages rendered its intense harvesting impractical. Ironically it became more fashionable in the late 20th century when its modern sources such as Kashmir and Iran made it "exotic", therefore somehow more "authentic". There have been attempts to re-start cultivation in East Anglia but they struggle with the same practicalities that ended the Tudor trade.

Get in

By plane

Stansted Airport (IATA: STN) is 13 miles south of town and has budget flights from across Europe. See below for the direct train and bus to town.

Other London airports have flights from beyond Europe. You'll probably need to travel into central London then come out again, but a bus links Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted.

By train

Trains run every 30 min from London Liverpool Street, taking just over an hour via Tottenham Hale, Harlow, Bishop's Stortford and Stansted Mountfitchet. A single from the city in 2023 costs about £15 and the last departure is at 23:30. These trains continue north to Cambridge, another 20 min. They don't call at the airport, use the hourly Norwich-Cambridge-Stansted train, which takes 20 min. Change at Cambridge for Peterborough, the Midlands and north.

Audley End 📍 is the railway station, two miles southwest of town. It has a staffed ticket office and machines, toilets, a newsagent and waiting rooms. There is step-free access via lifts to both platforms. Bus 301 runs to town hourly.

By bus

Central Connect Bus 316 runs from Stansted Airport M-Sa hourly, taking an hour via Broxted, Thaxted and Debden.

Stagecoach Bus 7 runs from Cambridge M-Sa hourly, taking 70 min via Sawston, Duxford, Ickleton and Little Chesterford.

Central Connect Bus 301 runs from Bishop's Stortford M-Sa hourly via Stansted Mountfitchet and Audley End station.

There isn't a bus station in Saffron Walden, buses stop along High Street and elsewhere.

By road

Saffron Walden is close to M11 but doesn't have a nearby exit. From London, Stansted Airport and the south follow M11 to Jcn 9A Stump Cross, then backtrack south on Walden Road. From the north leave M11 at Jcn 10 onto A505 east, from Cambridge take A1301 south, with these routes joining towards Stump Cross and Walden Road.

Get around

Everything is within walking distance, including Audley End one mile west.

Taxi firms include Crocus Cars (+44 1799 525511), Abel Cars (+44 1799 513313), Sewell Cars (+44 1799 501636) and Cab Rides (+44 7377 360770).

See

• Saffron Walden Museum, Museum St CB10 1JL, 52.0255°, 0.2408°, +44 1799 510333. W-Sa 10:00-16:30, Su 14:00-16:30. It looks small, but this museum is packed with exhibits of local history and beyond. The grounds contain Walden castle, built by Geoffrey de Mandeville from 1141 when a war of succession of the crown broke out. His faction lost and the castle was "slighted" - partly demolished - in 1157, probably before it was finished. So it's just a gnarly stump of masonry but its long-gone bailey walls defined the town street pattern. Adult £2.50, conc £1.25, under 18s free 2023-02-26
• Fry Art Gallery, 19a Castle Street CB10 1BD, 52.0250°, 0.2380°, +44 1799 513779. Apr-Oct Su-F 14:00-17:00, Sa 11:00-17:00. Gallery of 20th and 21st century work by local artists - foremost are the Great Bardfield group, active in that village in mid-20th century and mostly figurative in style. Free 2023-02-26
• St Mary the Virgin is bigger than several cathedrals but is simply the Anglican parish church. The present version was built in the 1250s and re-done in Perpendicular style in the 1450s. The spire of 193 ft / 59 m was added in 1832. Lying in the graveyard is Rab Butler (1902-1982), who steered through the 1944 Education Act. The church is open daily.
• Bridge End Gardens, 17-22 Castle St CB10 1BE, 52.0270°, 0.2380°, +44 1799 524002. 24 hours. 2.7 hectare ornamental Dutch garden with a hedge maze, laid out from 1828, and restored to its 1870s heyday. Free 2023-02-26
• Jubilee Garden 📍 is a little green space off Hill Street. A maze has been laid out on the paving of the bandstand.
• Turf Maze 📍 or Labyrinth in the east corner of The Common is probably of great antiquity, but its origin and purpose are unknown. With a diameter of 132 feet, it's one of the world's largest. You can explore and escape from it any time, as it's just grooves cut in the turf.
• Audley End House and Gardens, off London Road, Audley End CB11 4JF, 52.0196°, 0.2186°, +44 370 333 1181. Apr-Oct daily, Nov-Mar W-Su, 10:00-16:00. 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". Adult £21, child £12.60, concessions £18.90 2023-02-25

Do

Hempstead

This tiny hamlet 10 miles east of town has three famous denizens. William Harvey (1578-1657) discovered the circulation of the blood and was buried here. Admiral Sir Eliab Harvey (1758-1830) was captain of Temeraire at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar; he too lies in the Harvey family crypt here. Dick Turpin (1705-1739) was born here and became a highwayman around Epping Forest. He fled north in 1737 when the rest of his gang was captured; in Yorkshire he took up horse-thieving, for which he was hanged.

• Cinema: Saffron Screen is a small volunteer-run cinema within the High School on Audley End Road.
• Audley End Miniature Railway, Audley End Road CB11 4JB (by entrance to Audley End House), +44 1799 510726, enquiries@aemr.co.uk. Apr-Sept. 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm)-gauge railway opened in 1964, on a 1 1⁄2 mile circuit of the woods by the House. Adult £10, child under 92 cm £5 2023-02-25
• Golf: Saffron Walden GC is west side of town on Windmill Hill. White tees 6608 yards, par 72, visitor round £60.

Buy

• Supermarkets: Waitrose is the most central, on Hill St, open M-Sa 07:00-21:00, Su 10:00-16:00. Tesco is on Radwinter Rd east edge of town, and has fuel 06:00-22:00.
• The Market has been held since 1141. It's in town centre on Tuesday and Saturday.

Eat

• Indigo Indian Dining, 18 George St CB10 1EQ, +44 1799 522739. Su-Th 17:30-23:00, F Sa 17:30-00:00. Reliable quality Indian meals. 2023-03-01
• The Old English Gentleman, 11 Gold St CB10 1EJ, +44 1799 523595. M-Th 11:00-23:00, F Sa 11:00-00:00, Su 12:00-22:00. Grand pub for trad fare. 2023-03-01
• The Mogul, 21 High St CB10 1AT, +44 1799 516611. Daily 17:00-21:30. This long-standing Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant gets mixed reviews. 2023-03-01
• Maze Bar and Grill, 9 Market St CB10 1HR, +44 1799 525429. Tu-Su 11:00-15:00, 17:00-21:00. Good modern Turkish restaurant. 2023-03-01
• The Eight Bells, 18 Bridge St CB10 1BU, 52.0252°, 0.2366°, +44 1799 522790. W-Su 12:00-22:00. Pleasant pub-restaurant in a half-timbered 16th century building. 2023-03-01
• Others in town centre are The Restaurant on Church Street, Jade Garden, Bangkok Thai, Dough & Co Pizza and Lokma Garden.

Drink

• The Temeraire, 55 High Street CB10 1AA, +44 1799 516975. Daily 08:00-00:00. Wetherspoon pub with food, understaffed and lukewarm reviews. 2023-03-01
• The Market House is a wine bar on Market Hill open Tu-Th 12:00-23:00, F Sa 12:00-01:00.
• Kings Arms opposite Market House is a trad boozer open Su-Th 12:00-23:00, F 12:00-00:00, Sa 11:00-00:30.

Sleep

• Cross Keys Hotel on High Street is a charming old half-timbered building with rooms but scores poorly for food and service.
• Saffron Hotel, 8-12 High St CB10 1AZ, +44 1799 588882. 17-room hotel which they're trying to run with next-to-no staff. Even getting into the place has defeated several travellers. Double (room only) £75 2023-02-25
• The Queens Head, High St, Littlebury CB11 4TD, 52.0340°, 0.2091°, +44 1799 520365. 14th / 15th-century coaching inn with 6 bedrooms. A takeover in 2022 by New English Inns has really boosted this place, good service and comfort. B&B double £70 2023-02-25
• Premier Inn Saffron Walden, Thaxted Rd CB10 2SG, 52.0119°, 0.2588°, +44 333 003 8101. Good reliable budget chain. B&B double £85 2023-02-25
• Piglets B&B, Top Road, Wimbish CB10 2XJ, 51.9947°, 0.3277°, +44 1799 599800. It's more like a Nordic chalet, with tasteful pine, sauna and pool, and earns great reviews for comfort and service. B&B double £200 2023-02-25

Connect

As of Feb 2023, Saffron Walden has 4G from all UK carriers, with mostly a good signal on the approach roads. 5G has not reached town but is getting close.

Go next

• Duxford for the military aircraft collection of the Imperial War Museum.
• Cambridge is a charming old university town.