SawbridgeworthOnline - Tourism Page

Introduction

Parks, River and Antiques

The Rivers Nursery

The River Stort

History and Heritage

Millennium Maze

Footpaths

Eating & Drinking

Sawbridgeworth Photographers Scenes

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Introduction



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



	Carol singing on the Fairgreen



	Bell St in the Winter shadows



	Everywhere a winter greeting

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.
We have just said goodbye to 2009 and welcome in 2010.Our Tourism pages are dominated with winter scenes and all are local.Check out the panel on the left for more picture and area details.
Do you have photos of Sawbridgeworth that you would like publicised on this site? then please use the 'Contact Us' box on the homepage to discuss.

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Parks, River and Antiques



	Winter on the Stort.R.Gilbert



	Deepest darkest winter. R. Gilbert



	Cold crisp and dry.R. Gilbert

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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The Rivers Nursery



	Deepest Winter in the Orchard ...Feb 09 photo EK



	The New Rivers Beech hedge



	Winter Wassail in the orchard



	Wassail Bonfire held January 9th 2010

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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The River Stort



	The Maltings across the marsh in winter. R.Gilbert



	Winter Reflections at the mill.R.Gilbert



	Lockkeepers Cottage & waterside walk. R. Gilbert

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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History and Heritage



	Thomas Rivers corresponded with Charles Darwin



	The Church in winter.... R. Gilbert



	The old workhouse. original courtesy of A.Hedger

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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Millennium Maze



	Scouts and Guides check out the maze



	The Maze is under the snow on the right. A. Hedger

A small pavement maze was opened on the grass outside the Bell Street surgery and a few steps from the central car park to commemorate the Millennium. It is of ancient circular design, as it used to be said that the devil could only run in straight lines,the centre of a circular maze was a very safe place to be therefore. The maze is for children to enjoy. The central mosaic was made by the scouts and guides.

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Footpaths



	Check out our Events Calendar for Guided Walks



	Footpaths and twitchels are a major network in our town. A. Hedger



	Path through Pishiobury in winter. R. Gilbert

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.

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Eating & Drinking



	Find some great winter warmers at our Farmers' Market



	Warm, welcoming Inns,Restaurants & Cafes abound in Sawbridgeworth



	Knight St at night.



	A wide range of places to eat and drink

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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Sawbridgeworth Photographers Scenes



	The Maltings, Sawbridgeworth



	Sawbridgeworth Town Council, Bell Street



	The Old Water Pump, Ducklings Lane



	Parish Hall



	Memorial Hall



	The lock, Burtons Mill



	Stort Navigation



	Bullfields Centre, Cutforth Road



	Farm Fields, West Sawbridgeworth



	War Memorial, Sawbridgeworth



	Church House, Sawbridgeworth



	The Old Vicarage, Sawbridgeworth



	Congregational Church, London Road, Sawbridgeworth



	Bell Street Sawbridgeworth now



	And Bell Street Sawbridgeworth then.



	The Clock, Great St. Mary's, Sawbridgeworth



	Sawbridgeworth Bowls Club



	Pishiobury Park



	Millennium Maze, Sawbridgeworth

This is a Place holder for SBW photo images from SBW Photographers Pool.

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