When the Doomsday Book was compiled in 1086 Saffron Walden consisted of about 120 households. It's a little larger now! The Saffron Crocus was being grown here in the late 1300s and by the early 1500s was the centre of the Saffron industry in this country.

High Street, looking south, seen from between Castle Street and Church Street. Although most of the buildings in High Street are Georgian the building on the left is obviously much older with some very ancient-looking timber showing on the corner.

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Bridge Street is the continuation of High Street to the north. The road on the right is Castle Street and the road opposite on the left is Myddlyton Place with the 15th century medieval half-timbered youth hostel on the corner.

Just beyond the youth hostel are some more ancient timber-framed buildings - some showing jettied construction.

This is the house, shown in the corner of the picture above, seen from the opposite side of High Street. Note the pargetting (raised patterning) on the gables and the jettied construction.

You can see how close we are to the church here.

This 15th century medieval building on the corner of Bridge Street and Myddlyton Place is a Youth Hostel and is within easy reach of the town centre, church and pubs!

Some ancient timber-framed houses in Bridge Street. Some showing jettied construction.

The Common is the oldest of the open spaces in Saffron Walden where local people had grazing rights and it was, at one time, also used for events such as tournaments.

On the eastern side of the Common is the largest turf labyrinth still surviving in Europe and the path winds for about a mile within a circle of 100 feet.