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Idyllic Villages and a Grand Mansion

Idyllic Villages and a Grand Mansion

Visit the pretty villages and historic towns of Saffron Walden, Finchingfield and Thaxted - from thatched cottages to a stately home, discover our heritage.

Day 1


Morning - Park in Swan Street car park and explore the pretty market town of Saffron Walden on foot, home to the largest turf maze in the world!

Afternoon - After lunch walk around Bridge End Gardens, created in 1840. Designed by Francis Gibson as a series of interlocking rooms, each has
its own unique character. Free entry. If you have time, visit the award-winning Saffron Walden Museum depicting life in the area years ago.
Enjoy timeless classics and innovative specials using local ingredients at the Eight Bells in Bridge Street - relax in modern, stylish surroundings.

Day 2


Morning - After a hearty breakfast, visit the beautiful Jacobean mansion Audley End House and Gardens. Now cared for by English Heritage, step back in time and meet Victorian staff in the Service Wing and Stables. Enjoy lunch in the on-site café or picnic in the beautiful grounds, the work of ‘Capability’ Brown.

Afternoon - You can’t leave the area without visiting Thaxted and Finchingfield. Finchingfield is one of the most photographed villages in the UK, with its
village pond and restored windmill, whilst Thaxted is a small town with history dating back before the Domesday Book. Highlights include St John the Baptist church and the Guildhall.

Accommodation


Stay at The Red Cow in Chrishall, a charming 500 year-old thatched barn, on a B&B basis. With only five bedrooms, this is a small family-run business
with a personal touch. We love how all the rooms have been named after local farming families who have farmed the land for generations!


* Please check opening times of all venues before visiting as they are subject to change. Please quote Visit Essex when booking any of these venues.

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Product Information

  1. Saffron Walden Museum

    Saffron Walden

    Friendly, family-size museum. Exhibits include moccasins, mummy cases, woolly mammoths and Wallace the Lion! Meadow for picnics with castle ruins. Winner Best Museum of social history. Accessible for disabled visitors.

  2. Audley End House and Gardens

    Saffron Walden

    Visit Essex's hidden treasure house to explore delightful gardens and acres of parkland and experience the upstairs and downstairs life of one of England’s grandest houses. Discover its staterooms, nursery and fascinating artefacts and meet our resident horses in the Victorian stableyard.

  3. Finchingfield Post Mill

    Finchingfield

    A small 18th century Post Mill having one pair of stones and tailpole winding and has been extensively restored. Visitors may climb up to the first two floors.

  4. The Red Cow

    Royston

    An idyllic English thatched country pub in the rural village of Chrishall to the west of Saffron Walden. The Red Cow is the perfect place to escape to the country.

  5. Thaxted Guildhall

    Thaxted

    This magnificent building houses a permanent display of old photographs and objects relating to the history of Thaxted and a small museum. The building is an impressive survival of a market feature, once common throughout the country, built by the townsfolk of Thaxted in the 14th century.

Itinerary Distances

FromToDistance * (metric)
Saffron Walden Museum (52.02547,0.24076)Audley End House and Gardens (52.02081,0.22062)1.33
Audley End House and Gardens (52.02081,0.22062)Finchingfield Post Mill (51.96967,0.45216)15.18
Finchingfield Post Mill (51.96967,0.45216)The Red Cow (52.03311,0.10644)22.25
The Red Cow (52.03311,0.10644)Finchingfield Guildhall (51.96823,0.45248)22.32
Finchingfield Guildhall (51.96823,0.45248)Thaxted Guildhall (51.95372,0.34352)6.88
Total Distance *67.94 miles
Estimated Journey Time2.19 hours

* Approximate distance by road

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