Saffron Walden
a free turf maze and old plaster
A medieval market town with an ancient turf maze, pastel plaster houses and a huge common, all free. The grand country house next door is the famous bit.
Free to visit · Saffron Walden · Essex · Liverpool St → Audley End · CB10 1HR
Saffron Walden is a handsome medieval market town that most Londoners have never heard of, which keeps it gloriously uncrowded. Wander streets of pastel pargeted plasterwork, find the ancient turf maze cut into the common and poke around one of the oldest markets in the region.
All of that is free. The grand Jacobean Audley End House sits just outside town and charges, but the town, the common, the maze and the surrounding Essex countryside cost nothing but the train and the little bus.
Getting there from London: Liverpool Street to Audley End, 1h + short bus, advance singles from £16 each way. The town, the common and the maze are free. Audley End House next door is the paid attraction.
Getting there: Audley End station is a couple of miles from the town, linked by a short bus or a walk through the lanes. The town itself is small and walkable.
Best time to go: Saturday for the market in full swing, weekdays for quiet streets. The common is at its best on a bright morning.
Official site: https://www.visitsaffronwalden.gov.uk
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