Saffron Walden has many old buildings and an ancient maze on the common. It is very convenient for London - less than an hour by train (Audley End station) and near the M11 to drive. It is handy for Cambridge (half hour drive) and into Suffolk to see quaint English towns and villages such as Lavenham and Bury St. Edmunds. There is an English Heritage house - Audley End, which is worth a visit, which in the summer has a mini railway trip around the woods to see lots of teddy bears placed among the trees! There isn't much for young people to do except for a state of the art Skate Park on the local leisure (Lord Butler Centre) site. Enthusiasts visit from all over Europe as it is of very high quality.
Market days are Tuesdays and Saturdays, and apart from that the town has a few usual high street stores and several gift shops. There are various restaurants and coffee shops. Parking is an expensive nightmare restricted to 2 hrs apart from a couple of car parks so beware.