The Railway Arms.
Saffron Walden's first community-owned pub, serving the town since 1865. A proper local with up to six changing cask ales, cider made on the premises, a large beer garden and a warm welcome for all, dogs included.
A little about The Railway Arms.
The Railway Arms has stood in the shadow of the old Great Eastern branch line since 1865, on the corner of Station Road and Station Street on the southern edge of the town centre. When it closed in 2017 and faced the threat of redevelopment, local residents formed the Save The Railway Arms Pub campaign and raised the funds to buy it through a community share offer. The community took over in 2020, and today the pub is owned by more than 500 local shareholders.
A completely free house, the Railway Arms champions independent and local breweries, with up to six changing cask ales ranging from stouts and bitters to pales and modern craft styles. There's also a carefully chosen selection of real ciders and perries, including Wriggers' Cider, which is made right here on the premises. Wherever possible, drinks are sourced from suppliers within about 40 miles.
The quality has been widely recognised, with the pub named CAMRA's Essex Pub of the Year and Regional Cider Pub of the Year, and runner up in the National Pub Saving Award 2021. Inside, the walls are full of memorabilia celebrating the history of the Saffron Walden railway line, while outside there's a large beer garden and a courtyard with plenty of seating.
Food on Thursday evenings comes from a changing line-up of food trucks, and Venning's Café in the restored stable block serves food at other times. There's a quiz every Sunday evening, and dogs are always welcome.