Saffron Walden Cestreforda to the north. After the Norman invasion of 1066, a stone church was built. Walden Castle, dating from about 1140, may have been built on pre-existing fortifications. A priory, Walden Abbey, was founded under the patronage of Geoffrey de Mandeville, first Earl of Essex about 1136, on the site of what is now Audley End village. The abbey was separated from Walden by Holywell Field. After the dissolution of the monasteries, Sir Thomas Audley converted its cloisters into a dwelling. Later this became the site of Audley End House. The market was moved from nearby Newport to Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden (horse) stallion in Japan and Ireland with limited success as a sire of winners. Saffron Walden was a bay horse with a small white star and a white coronet on his right hind foot bred in France by Stavros Niarchos. Niarchos died a month after the colt was foaled and the horse then entered the ownership of the Niarchos family. In October 1997 the yearling was offered for sale at Goffs and was bought for IR£1,200,000 by the Dermot "Demi" OByrne on behalf of John Magnier's Coolmore organisation. During his racecourse career he was owned by Susan Magnier and trained by