A short walk in Audley End Park
To get to start of walk
Follow the B184 to Saffron Walden and turn right at the bottom of the hill just before The Eight
Bells, following the Swan Meadow Car Park direction sign. After 5pm and on Sundays, parking in
Swan Meadow is free.
Distance
2ΒΌ miles. It is simple to do this walk in an hour or so. In winter, it may get sticky underfoot in
places, but it is a lovely stroll in spring, summer or early autumn. The route map provided should
be easy enough to follow.
Background
Saffron Walden started life simply as Walden, then became Chipping (market) Walden and then, in
the 16 and 17C, when local saffron crocus growing became significant, it changed its name once
more.
Maps
Use the route map provided, visit maps.the-hug.net for a free map extract or, if you use OS Ex-
plorer maps you will find Audley End Park in map number 195.
Route of Walk
After parking, walk across the car park, heading for the Town Centre. When the duckpond is
reached on the left, take the paved path that skirts the right hand side of the pond and carry on un-
til it meets the end of Freshwell Street. Walk on up to the main road (High Street). Turn right and
then take the first right into Middylton Place. When this bends to the left, turn off right through the
wide entrance to a large house (now a residential home) and follow the path downhill on the left
hand side of the grounds, to exit on to a side road.
Cross over with care and go ahead via the paved path (Abbey Lane) that leads between residential
dwellings. On the far side, keep on until a junction with a road is reached. Turn right and walk care-
fully along the road. Saffron Walden Almshouses are immediately to the right. At the end of the
road, go through the entrance straight ahead, into Audley End park and veer left upslope.
Keep on, with fields to left and right until a track to the right is reached, going off downhill. Take
the track and follow it (great views of the church from here) until it enters woodland. Then go right
(do not attempt to cross the small stream ahead). At the end of the stream, swing left and then left
again, so that the stream is now to the left, and walk ahead out into open land. Keep on, and turn
right just after a large solitary oak tree. The grassy track joins up with another track, with stream
(The Slade) beyond.
Turn left to get a nice side-on view of Audley End House but then turn back and follow the track
alongside The Slade straight back towards Saffron Walden. Eventually, an open field is reached.
Take the left hand path round the field boundary and keep on this until another path leads off to the
left (by a sign saying Permissive Path). This takes you across a bridge and out into the car park
from where this walk started. Return to your car.
Sawston and District u3a does not accept responsibility for any accident or mishap that may
happen to any person who follows this walk.
