History of saffron Gâtinais, Normandy, Périgord, Poitou, Provence, and Quercy. Its mysterious decline started during the 18th century, possibly due to pandemic fungal diseases destroying bulbs and crops, to particularly cold winters, and to competing market from the Mediterranean countries. In England, cultivation "persisted" only in the light, well-drained, and chalk-based soils of the north Essex countryside. The Essex town of Saffron Walden got its name as a saffron growing and trading centre; its name was originally Cheppinge Walden, and the culinary name change was effected to punctuate the importance of the crop to the townsfolk; the town's arms still feature blooms from
1901 Saffron Walden by-election the Conservative Party in the 1900 general election, which was dubbed the Khaki election. But what had at first been seen as a brief Imperial engagement turned slowly into a protracted and bloody conflict. Opposition to the War was strengthened by the use of concentration camps by the British Army against the Dutch civilian population. This policy was eventually characterised by Liberal leader Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman as ‘methods of barbarism’. Gray was determined to play the khaki card again and held a meeting at Saffron Walden Town Hall on 29 May 1901 with the Marquis of Graham and D J