saffron
walden
historical society

Featured image for “St. Mary’s, Saffron Walden Burial Registers 1558-1892”
January 16, 2025 • posted in Articles

St. Mary’s, Saffron Walden Burial Registers 1558-1892

The burial registers officially continue until the end of 1856, when the churchyard was closed for burials due to overcrowding
Read More
Featured image for “Seventeenth Century Copper Tokens of Saffron Walden: a commentary”
January 10, 2025 • posted in Articles

Seventeenth Century Copper Tokens of Saffron Walden: a commentary

Copper farthing and halfpenny coins were issued in the mid-17th century by the town’s tradesmen in the absence of royal copper coinage.
Read More
Featured image for “Boys’ British School, Saffron Walden: Memories, 1937-1964,”
December 29, 2024 • posted in Articles

Boys’ British School, Saffron Walden: Memories, 1937-1964,

‘A man’s world’ – or so it seemed to me when I joined the staff of B.B.S. in 1937.
Read More
Featured image for “Church Porches -Book Launched”
December 14, 2024 • posted in News

Church Porches -Book Launched

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. This book, the first detailed study of them for over a century, gives new insights into this often over-looked element.
Read More
Featured image for “Saffron Walden Town Hall”
December 11, 2024 • posted in Articles

Saffron Walden Town Hall

A book with the title ‘Accct of Town Hall & New Buildings begun 1761’ in the town archives is endorsed ‘Samuel Fiske 1826 given me by J. Wolfe Esq’.
Read More
Featured image for “New Henry Winstanley Book Launched”
December 4, 2024 • posted in News

New Henry Winstanley Book Launched

Successful book signing on 3rd December 2024 by Martin Rose. A recently published new biography of Henry Winstanley, the Saffron Walden engineer, engraver, lighthouse-builder and theatrical entrepreneur was launched on 3rd December 2024 at the Old Sun Inn, Church Street, Saffron Walden . As Douglas Kent (owner of the Sun Inn) said, the Winstanley family were known to have associations
Read More
Featured image for “Remembrance Day Parade and Related Posts”
November 10, 2024 • posted in News

Remembrance Day Parade and Related Posts

Sunday 10th November saw the annual Remembrance Day Parade, which took place at the top of the High Street by the War Memorial. The Society has a number of posts and articles relating to both World War I and World War II.
Read More
Featured image for “American air bases during World War Two in East Anglia- their Impact”
November 8, 2024 • posted in Articles

American air bases during World War Two in East Anglia- their Impact

In 1939 there were only 1,700,000 people living in East Anglia. The main industry continued to be centred around agriculture, but the East Anglian economy was in a poor state in the pre-war period.
Read More
Featured image for “Thomas Netter of Walden: Diplomat, Carmelite and Theologian (c.1372–1430)”
November 8, 2024 • posted in Recommended Reading

Thomas Netter of Walden: Diplomat, Carmelite and Theologian (c.1372–1430)

Thomas Netter was born in Saffron Walden and spent his early years in the town before entering the church, and becoming a diplomat and confessor for King Henry V, who reportedly died in Netter’s arms.
Read More
Featured image for “Recent Archaeology in Saffron Walden Town Centre”
November 8, 2024 • posted in Articles

Recent Archaeology in Saffron Walden Town Centre

Saffron Walden has one of the best preserved historic centres in Essex.
Read More
Featured image for “The Railway through Audley End: Lord Braybrooke, W G Gibson and the Line to Cambridge, by Martin Rose”
November 6, 2024 • posted in SWHS Publications

The Railway through Audley End: Lord Braybrooke, W G Gibson and the Line to Cambridge, by Martin Rose

SWHS Publications no 7 (2024), design by Nick Crawley. ISBN 978-1873669-23-5, 64 pages, price £6.00 Why do all fast trains stop at Audley End? Why does the line disappear into the Chalk through two tunnels whose only function is to hide it from the windows of Audley End? Whose is the showy heraldry on the Littlebury tunnel portal? And why
Read More