Saffron Walden Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England
About Saffron Walden
Saffron is a red-gold spice derived from the flowerCrocus sativus, which has a vivid crimson stigma and styles. The plant is sometimes called "autumn crocus" (which is also the name of a poisonous plant) and is sterile because its chromosomes are triploid. It's therefore unknown in the wild and is artificially propagated by splitting its corms. All plants are therefore clones of an ancient ancestor, created maybe 4000 years ago somewhere in the east Mediterranean -za'farānis Arabic for "golden". ] The stigma or "threads" are harvested by hand, and it takes 40 hours of labour to pick 150,000 flowers to yield one kilo of saffron. That kilo will cost you over £10,000 at the Cash & Carry, but fortunately, only a few threads suffice to impart colour and flavour to a dish, and a gram should last
Top Attractions in Saffron Walden
Explore the best things to see and do in Saffron Walden:
- ★Audley End House and Gardens
- ★Audley End Miniature Railway
- ★Bridge End Gardens
- ★Fry Art Gallery
- ★Saffron Walden GC
- ★Saffron Walden Museum
- ★St Mary's Church
Where to Eat in Saffron Walden
Must-try local food and restaurants:
- 🍴Indigo Indian Dining
- 🍴Maze Bar and Grill
- 🍴The Eight Bells
- 🍴The Mogul
- 🍴The Old English Gentleman
Where to Stay in Saffron Walden
- 🏨Piglets B&B
- 🏨Premier Inn Saffron Walden
- 🏨Saffron Hotel
- 🏨The Queens Head
Saffron Walden Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: