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Saffron Walden, Essex, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saffron_Walden_from_the_B.184_-_geograph.org.uk_-_266543.jpgAuthor: Robert Edwards
Saffron Walden is a market town in northwestern Essex, England. It is located in Uttlesford district, about 24 km (15 mi) south of Cambridge and 56 km (35 mi) north of London. The town has a population of around 14,000 people (2012 estimate).
The history of human habitation in the Saffron Walden area goes back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. The site was later occupied by the Romans, and when they withdrew, the Anglo-Saxons took over the area. This was followed by the Normans in 1066. Shortly after the Norman Conquest, a stone church was built in the area. Then Walden Castle was built in around 1116.
Walden Abbey dates to 1136. It began as a priory established by the 1st Earl of Essex. Saffron Walden began to hold a market, transferred from nearby Newport, in 1141. It received its first town charter in 1300, where it was known as Chipping Walden.
The name Saffron Walden dates to the 16th century, when the saffron crocus became a widely grown crop. The production of saffron became so closely associated with the town that it changed its name from Chipping Walden to Saffron Walden. By the 18th century, however, the demand for saffron was in decline, and the town had to switch to alternative crops including malt and barley.
Today Saffron Walden is very much a quiet, rural town. The town center has a number of historic buildings dating back many centuries.
The market square at Saffron Walden: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Market_Stalls_in_the_Square_-_geograph.org.uk_-_865289.jpgAuthor: Alan Hawkes
Visiting Saffron Walden
From London, take the M11 motorway to Junction 9a then continue on the B184 road heading south till you arrive in Saffon Walden.Places of Interest in Saffron Walden
- Audley End: Manor house built by the Earl of Suffolk in the 17th century.
- Church of St Mary the Virgin: The largest parish church in Essex dating to the end of the 15th century.
- The Maze: The largest turf maze in England, measuring about a hundred feet in diameter. It dates back to 1699.
- Walden Castle: Medieval castle dating to the 12th century, now in ruins.
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