Walden Castle.
The atmospheric ruins of Walden Castle, a Norman tower keep set in the museum grounds on high ground above the town. Recently restored, the keep is now open to explore during Saffron Walden Museum's opening hours.
A little about Walden Castle.
Walden Castle is one of Saffron Walden's oldest landmarks, standing on high ground in the heart of the town, in the grounds of Saffron Walden Museum. The keep is thought to have been built in the late 11th or early 12th century, although the builder is unknown. The earliest known reference to it dates from 1141, when it belonged to Geoffrey de Mandeville, one of the most powerful barons of the turbulent civil war period known as the Anarchy.
The castle's fortunes rose and fell with the politics of the day. De Mandeville was forced to surrender it to King Stephen in 1143, and around 1158 it was partly destroyed on the orders of Henry II. It later passed to the de Bohun family, Earls of Essex, and in 1346 Humphrey de Bohun was granted a licence to add battlements. By the late 16th century, it was described as ruinous.
What survives today is the flint-rubble core of the basement and first storey of what was once a three-storey keep. Inside, you can spot traces of a circular staircase, a well shaft and a fireplace. The round tower on the north side is a later 18th-century addition. The castle is Grade I listed and sits within a Scheduled Monument.
After an eight-year programme of repairs, supported by Historic England and Uttlesford District Council, the walls have been stabilised and visitors can once again safely step inside the keep for the first time in decades. It's a peaceful spot to explore, with the museum, a picnic area and the town centre all close by.