SawbridgeworthOnline - Tourism Page

Introduction

Eating & Drinking

Parks, River and Antiques

History and Heritage

The River Stort

The Rivers Nursery

Footpaths

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Introduction



	Bell Street - Car Park on the right 'Free' at weekends



	Bell St in the Winter shadows



	Days gone by- F. Kinge



	Top of Bell St 1960_E Burton

Sawbridgeworth is a small quiet community set in North East Hertfordshire between Harlow and Bishops Stortford. It is on the main route from London to Cambridge by road and rail. The River Stort runs through the lower end of Sawbridgeworth, and was the reason for its prosperity in earlier centuries. The Saxons used the river when they transported goods from as far as London.

There are numerous events for the visitor and the community alike held in the town throughout the year.
A May Fayre is held on the Sunday of the first May Bank Holiday weekend, this event brings together organisations and people for an afternoon of traditional entertainments. Apple Day is held in October each year to celebrate the variety of fruits from Rivers Orchard.

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Eating & Drinking



	Find some great food at our Farmers' Market



	England must be playing



	Everywhere a pub



	Hidden Gems- Tea Rooms upstairs

Sawbridgeworth has a range of places to eat and drink from quiet bistros and restaurants to bustling pubs in the town centre.
In The Maltings as well as a range of cafes and takeaways the Antique Centres have their own cafes and tea rooms.

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Parks, River and Antiques



	Allen House Business Centre



	The Maltings- Home to Antique Centres.

Sawbridgeworth has some lovely open spaces, including a dedicated sports area with tennis, cricket and bowls to the south of the town centre. Pishiobury Park an Scheduled Ancient Monument is important for wildlife; the grassland is grazed by cattle and has no fertilisers added to encourage many different native wildflowers and grasses to grow. The ancient manor of Pishiobury dates from Norman times. In 1534 Lord John Scrope conveyed it to trustees for the use of King Henry VIII, who in turn granted it to Ann Boleyn. The house stayed with the Crown until Queen Elizabeth I sold it in 1585. The current house was completed in 1784 under the direction of James Wyatt. At the same time Lancelot Capability’ Brown advised on various works within the Park. Today the Park is open for quiet, informal recreation.

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History and Heritage



	The Church in winter.... R. Gilbert



	Sawbridgeworth Airfield Memorial



	Welcoming shop owner in Bell St_EB

Neolithic people were the first settlers in the Stort Valley. They built an interesting structure known as a Causewayed Enclosure, now part of Pishiobury Park. They, and the Bronze Age people who followed them, are likely to have used the river in their pre-christian rituals.

Sawbridgeworth was considered to be one of the most valuable estates in the county. According to the Domesday Book it was passed to Geoffrey de Mandeville, after the Battle of Hastings, by William the Conqueror. Sawbridgeworth’s prosperity was long associated with its trade in malt, facilitated by the towns’ positioning on the River Stort. The Stort has been used as a means of commercial navigation since Roman times.

The town has retained the historic character and charm that it has possessed for centuries. In the centre of the town Bell Street and Knight Street have numerous timber framed and Georgian buildings. Follow our Millennium Trail to discover more. In April and October each year a horse fair was held here. Horses were put on display and were trotted up and down Bell Street. Just off Bell Street is Fair Green, which was used by the Travelling Fair Show with its roundabouts and swings. Today Bell Street is the main shopping area in Sawbridgeworth, with an array of small specialist shops. Check our Farmers Market page for details of our high quality bi-monthly Farmers Market.

During the Second World War Sawbridgeworth contributed greatly to the war effort, not only with its farming contribution, but as a manufacturer of equipment to the army and airforce. These included the wings and fuselages for the de Havilland Mosquito Mk IIIB which were produced by Walter Lawrence and Co., at their woodworking business located beside the River Stort.

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The River Stort



	Lockkeepers Cottage & waterside walk. R. Gilbert



	Stort stillness_RB



	Parking on the Stort

The River Stort has been used as a means of commercial navigation since Roman times. In 1769, 15 locks were built to enable barge loads of malt, flour and timber to reach Sawbridgeworth and Bishops Stortford from London and the River Lea. The completion of the railway and the improvement of the London Road quickly led to the decline in canal traffic. Today, the River Stort offers a variety of recreational opportunities for boating, walking, cycling and fishing, and the old Maltings buildings along the riverside near the station provide the setting for some of the largest antiques centres in Hertfordshire and Essex in the Maltings Antiques Centre.

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The Rivers Nursery



	Apple Blossom at Rivers Orchard



	'The summer time is coming'...

Founded in 1725 by Thomas Rivers, Rivers Nursery is the oldest in England. It gained a national reputation for trees and shrubs, including the Conference Pear. When the Florida Orange Crop failed in California in 1876, a variety known as ‘Valentia Late’ was sent out by the Nursery and established the present industry there. The nursery closed as a business towards the end of the 1980s and local people took over the management of the orchard site which is now a haven for wildlife and stunning fruit trees. Details about the history of the site and forthcoming events can be found at: www.riversnurseryorchard.org.uk

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Footpaths



	Blossom walk- they do exist



	Footpaths, trails and signs abound



	The Oak Walk

Take a walk around our town and follow the Millennium Trail to discover some of the town’s history and buildings. The countryside around Sawbridgeworth is served by a wealth of Rights of Way. You can plan your own route, or take advantage of one of the many circular walks in the area.