Saffron Walden - Archeological evidence suggests a continuous settlement on or near the site of Saffron Walden from at least the Neolithic period.[2] It is believed that a small Romano-British settlement and fort – possibly in the area around Abbey Lane – existed as an outpost of the much larger settlement of Cestreforda to the north.[2]   The remains of 12th-century Walden Castle After the Norman invasion of 1066, a stone church was built. Walden Castle dates from around 1140.