Saffron Walden and Audley End

We will be visiting Saffron Walden and Audley End (which we last visited 10 years ago, as the very first Far Away Day outing!)

Our first stop is at the picturesque medieval market town of Saffron Walden in north-west Essex. You will see many buildings decorated in the local style of plasterwork, or pargetting.  The parish church of St Mary’s is the largest in Essex. The Saffron Walden Museum is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the UK (dating from 1835). The castle ruins stand in its grounds.

After lunch (bring your own or purchase in one of the many restaurants or cafes) we go on to Audley End. This house was built in the early 17th century by the first Earl of Suffolk. It was once one of the greatest houses in England, though it was much reduced in size by 100 years later. Of note is the Great Hall, which is very unusual in a building of this date (as great halls had gone out of vogue), and has remarkable timberwork, preserved thanks to whitewash. The architect Robert Adams and landscape designer Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown both did some work here.

We are being offered free admission to Audley End as English Heritage is counting our visit as an educational visit.

Meeting at:  East Finchley tube station forecourt