Former Friends’ School, Saffron Walden

As seen on TV, Saffron Walden was amongst the top 10 best places to live according to The Sunday Times on My5 and with our upcoming development of the former Friends’ school it is clear to say it will be a truly incredible site!

This stunning development of 96 homes includes sympathetic conversion of the historic buildings into apartments alongside new build houses set within landscaped grounds and tree-lined avenue. In addition to the refurbishment of the original Victorian swimming pool there will be a residents’ lounge and an array of sporting and recreational facilities including grass tennis courts and multi-use games area.

Saffron Walden is the best place to live in the East of England region, according to the 2023 The Sunday Times Best Place to Live Guide.

Regional winner Saffron Walden was praised for its excellent schools, country feel, busy high street and café scene, as well as its convenient location for commuters to Cambridge in just 20 minutes and London within 1 hour.

“Always beautiful, this historic market town is now adding a touch of youthful vigour to its highbrow credentials,” they said.

Saffron Walden is full of quirky and in other ways brilliant independent spots. Highlights include: Chater’s, a multifunctional café/wine bar/restaurant/general store; Mini Miss Bread, a wholesome bakery selling everything from sourdough to freshly baked cookies; and Tipi Coffee, a family-run coffee shop hailed from east London. All these new and contemporary spots opening up make the town a popular spot for younger couples and families.

The town really comes alive on Saturdays when the market square fills with shoppers on the hunt for fresh and/or artisan goods. There are also some superb pubs, including The Railway Arms, which is loved by regulars for its real ales and weekly quizzes.

The high-quality redevelopment of the Walden School in Saffron Walden by Chase New Homes will provide 96 new homes with a mix of houses and apartments facilitated by conversion of attractive historic buildings and sympathetic new-build. In addition to much needed housing, Chase will also be providing sporting and recreational facilities including tennis courts, a multi-use games area and refurbishment of the original swimming pool.

Car parking is proposed, including visitor parking for users of the swimming pool.  It is also proposed to maintain and improve landscaping across the whole site.

Public pedestrian and cycle access will be available down the tree-lined avenue located centrally in the site which leads to a formal landscaped area of communal open space centred around a pond. An informal pocket park to the east will add further meaningful open space for local people to use.

We look forward to seeing this development take shape over the coming months.