Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden makes an excellent choice for the person looking to commute to either London or Cambridge, given its excellent road links to their respective locations at junction 9 and 10 of the M11.
Regular trains to London Liverpool Street also run from Audley End station, which lies just 3 miles from the town and London’s third international airport sits conveniently to the south at nearby Stansted.
This all adds up to a wonderful, peaceful rural home location without the need to sacrifice easy access to the city for work.
Saffron Walden has a rich heritage of old buildings reflecting it’s wealth as a rural market town, a market has been held here since 1141 and markets are nowadays held on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Today the town is a traditional market town with historic buildings and shopping in the High Street offering a diverse assortment of independent shops, some old and some new, including butchers and greengrocers, boutiques and an array of restaurants.
The museum is of particular interest, as the collections are housed in one of the oldest purpose built museum buildings in the country. Completed in 1835, the grounds of the museum are the ruins of the castle keep which date back to the 1130’s or 1140’s.
Saffron Walden’s common is the oldest of Saffron Walden’s open spaces and on its eastern side is the largest labyrinth still surviving in Europe. Children of all ages enjoy following the “path” through the turf which winds for about 100’ (30.05m) in diameter.
The town has easy access to the nearby town of Great Dunmow which is another attractive market town in the heart of rural Essex.
