saffron
walden
historical society

Featured image for “Reminiscences of a Country Auctioneer”
January 25, 2026 • posted in Articles

Reminiscences of a Country Auctioneer

The profession of auctioneer is very old and well-respected. It can certainly be traced back to Roman times when, amongst other things, slaves were sold by auction.
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Featured image for “Edward Bawden & His Circle”
January 23, 2026 • posted in Recommended Reading

Edward Bawden & His Circle

Edward Bawden’s (1903-1989) artistic career spanned more than sixty years.
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Featured image for “Preserving the peace: Saffron Walden Borough Police 1836-1857”
January 21, 2026 • posted in Recommended Reading

Preserving the peace: Saffron Walden Borough Police 1836-1857

Before reform, one or maybe two men would be designated for a year to fulfil the role of parish constable, and apart from expenses, it was an unpaid position.
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Featured image for “Gibson Library awarded grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund”
January 20, 2026 • posted in News

Gibson Library awarded grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund

This generous award will enable the Society to raise the profile of the Library and give it a strong digital presence
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Featured image for “Gibson Library Society”
January 19, 2026 • posted in News

Gibson Library Society

Rachel Morris talks about her new book, The Year of the Wizard, a lyrical and highly atmospheric history of Renaissance magic.
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Featured image for “Child Cruelty – Victorian Style: ‘An Awful Case’”
January 15, 2026 • posted in Articles

Child Cruelty – Victorian Style: ‘An Awful Case’

The case of Margaret Rickett (or Ricketts) heard at the Saffron Walden County Bench in 1893 is both shocking and distressing but in the light of her background and upbringing it is perhaps unsurprising.
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Featured image for “W.E. Nesfield and the Missing Archives”
January 10, 2026 • posted in Articles

W.E. Nesfield and the Missing Archives

Neither the rector nor the architect could have foreseen the consequences that were to follow once the Rev J.F.W. Bullock had asked William Eden Nesfield in 1867 to restore and enlarge his parish church at Radwinter.
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Featured image for “East Anglian Church Porches”
January 6, 2026 • posted in Recommended Reading

East Anglian Church Porches

The church porches of medieval England are among the most beautiful and glorious aspects of ecclesiastical architecture; but in comparison with its stained glass, for example, they have been relatively little studied.
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Featured image for “Gibson Boulders: a remarkable collection of Ice Age boulders in Saffron Walden”
January 5, 2026 • posted in Articles

Gibson Boulders: a remarkable collection of Ice Age boulders in Saffron Walden

At the junction of Gibson Gardens and Margaret Way in Saffron Walden is a mound of grass with a few trees. On closer inspection it becomes apparent that there are also a number of large boulders here, some lying on the surface and others poking through the grass.
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