Things to do near Bishop’s Stortford

It’s been great exploring more of Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex since moving to Bishop’s Stortford. This post is all about fun things to do near Bishop’s Stortford within a 45 minute drive.

Things to do near Bishop’s Stortford

1. Visit historic town Saffron Walden

Saffron Walden is a gorgeous, colourful medieval market town located in North-West Essex around 25 minutes from Bishop’s Stortford. There are plenty of independent shops and cafes situated between the historic buildings and colourful houses.

visit saffron walden
visit saffron walden

You can park near Bridge End Gardens which is an expansive park space and under 5 minutes walk from the main town. If you visit one home shop, make sure you go to Angela Reed for all of your indoor and outdoor decorations. There was so much I wanted to buy in the shop!

things to do near bishop's stortford

As well as a wealth of shops, there are several local pubs to visit. The Eight Bells is a beautiful 16th Century timber framed pub with modern interiors and friendly staff. Their fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding were delicious!

The Cross Keys hotel and restaurant is another great option for food in Saffron Walden. The 16th century inn has original features and a cosy dining area. They have small plates, lunchtime light bites and large plates – the duck bon bons were incredible!

2. Walk through Birchanger Woods

Birchanger Woods is situated at the top of Stansted Road, north of Bishop’s Stortford and is separated into two parts by the A120. The 69 acres of woodland are maintained entirely by volunteers.

The woods are very popular for dog walking and running (the first part is around 3km). If you visit the second part into Birchanger, you could always treat yourself to a stop off at The Three Willows pub.

birchanger woods

3. Go fruit picking at Cammas Hall Farm

Cammas Hall Farm is situated around 20 minutes from Bishop’s Stortford in Hatfield Broad Oak. It is known for PYO (pick your own) fruit and vegetables, mainly from June to October. I visited for Halloween where they had TONS of pumpkins available for sale. There’s also a great pumpkin patch at Hatter’s Farm (around 10-15 mins from Stortford).

things to do in bishop's stortford
cammas hall farm

Other items available throughout the season include strawberries, blueberries, gooseberries, cherries, blackberries, onions and sweetcorn. Oh, and beautiful sunflowers!

cammas hall farm

4. Visit Hatfield Forest

One of the best things to do near Bishop’s Stortford is to visit Hatfield Forest, a beautiful National Trust destination located around 15 minutes drive from Bishop’s Stortford.

things to do in bishop's stortford
things to do in bishop's stortford

At just points during the year you need to book your car parking space in advance of your arrival to Hatfield Forest. National Trust members can book for free and non-members will be charged £8. The website releases tickets every Friday with a variety of time slots. Once you are in the forest, you can stay all day.

visit hatfield forest
visit hatfield forest

We spent around 2.5 hours in Hatfield Forest exploring all the areas. The most beautiful part is the huge lake near the entrance and the café. There is a small section of the forest that has a canopy walkway and the rest is open air forest and park to wander through at your own pace.

5. Walk in Bishop’s Stortford Southern Country Park

Ok, so this park is actually in Bishop’s Stortford (rather than near!) but is one of my favourites. There is only a small car park right near the park so you may have to wait for a space. However, we found an alternative car park down Church Lane, right by St Barnabas Centre which is much larger. It also gives you access to various public foothpaths which are less occupied than the park.

The Southern Country Park has a beautiful lake to walk around with a bridge and smaller platforms to feed the ducks (oats please, no bread!). The remainder is park ground with a number of different walkways. Just make sure you take walking boots or wellies when it has been raining.

things to do near bishop's stortford
things to do near bishop's stortford

6. Mountfitchet Castle

Mountfitchet Castle is described as an open-air museum experience where you can travel back in time over 900 years and witness life in a medieval Motte and Bailey castle. You can explore the castle, the Norman village hidden behind the castle walls and the old houses. Most excitingly, there are tame Fallow deer and other rescued animals that roam freely throughout the 10 acre site.

Entrance fee is £17 which includes Mountfitchet Castle, The House on the Hill Museum and the Dinosaur Encounters.

mountfitchet castle

7. Visit Cambridge

Cambridge is home to more Nobel Prize winners than any other city and it is easy to see why! From history, culture and punting to food, drink and shopping, there is something for everyone. Of course, it is also home to Cambridge University which was founded by King Henry III in 1209. It is also the second oldest English-speaking university in the world.

For idea of things to do in Cambridge, you can read my article here.

8. Visit Hatfield House, Park and Gardens

Hatfield House is a hidden gem located moments from Hatfield station with over 400 years of history. The house was built by Robert Cecil in the grounds where Queen Elizabeth I spent much of her childhood.

hatfield house
hatfield house

The house gardens date from the early 17th century and contain beautiful trees, flowers and, maze like paths, as well as a historical sundial. Surrounding Hatfield House is the historical woodland with three route options ranging from around 40 minutes to 90 minutes which can include a lakeside and forest walk.

hatfield house

9. Visit Hitchin

Hitchin Lavender is situated 45 minutes from Bishop’s Stortford and usually opens between late June and late August each year. The lavender fields are quite extensive (compared to Mayfield Lavender anyway), there is plenty of parking and a cafe / food stand on site. Tickets start from £7 for adults and just £3 extra to pick a bag of lavender (bring your own scissors!).

hitchin lavender

Hitchin town is a pleasant market town with plenty of independent shops. It’s actually where I wanted to move to but Stortford won with its direct links into London Liverpool Street. If you are a fan of chicken, award winning Chicken George has amazing wings and strips available eat in or takeaway. Cafe wise, The Groundworks and Hitchin Coffee Lab are good options.

10. Visit Ware

Ware is situated 25-30 minutes from Stortford, just a couple of miles from Hertford. Before exploring the town we visited Rye Nature Reserve, a wetland reserve beside the River Lee. It’s free entrance although £4 to park your car (or free if you are a RSPB member). The paths are generally well trodden with hides along the way for birdwatching (there were lots of people with binoculars).

Ware is a 10 minute drive from the nature reserve and is a small town by the River Lee. We eat at The Mexican at Jacoby’s (totally recommend the Cochinita Pibil, traditional marinated pull pork recipe from Yucatan) followed by drinks at The Waterside Inn, located right by the river.

11. Visit Sawbridgeworth

Located just a 15 minute drive from Stortford is the small town of Sawbridgeworth. If you fancy a good walk, the route via the canal from Stortford to Sawbridgeworth is around 5 miles and ends near the train station if you can’t face the return trip!

Another great place to walk is Pishiobury Park which is located to the south of the town with a large car park off the Harlow Road (A1184) and a pedestrian entrance from Newton Drive. It’s such a lovely large open space with a boardwalk at the south which leads out to the canal and allows you to do a full loop around back into the park.

If you fancy a bite to eat after a long walk, The Orange Tree is highly recommended with excellent food and service.

12. Have afternoon tea at one of The Great British Bake Off locations

Ok so you might not see the GBBO tent but the grounds and hotel at Down Hall are definitely worth a visit! The lounge setting is so relaxed with all the table settings spread out which make it feel very private.

The sandwiches include free range egg mayonnaise, Scottish smoked salmon, Cucumber, chive cream cheese and Black Angus roast beef. Of course there are plain and fruit scones and the sweet treats change seasonally. Service was great and the food was delicious. The afternoon tea is served daily between 12 and 5.30pm at £30 per person.

13. Go to Daisy Mays Farm in Elsenham

Daisy Mays is a farm in Elsenham which is run by volunteers. It has plenty of animals including pigs, sheep, goats, ducks and hens which you can feed. We have also seen rabbits and guinea pigs there previously. Entrance is only £5 and there are also crafts and arts, a small playground and a woodland walk.

14. Church Farm, Ardley

Church Farm near Stevenage is a working farm with plenty of animals (cows, pigs, sheep, alpacas, chickens, rabbits and more). You can’t hand feed the animals here but, instead, pop the food down chutes. There is also a woodland play area with tractors / cars for children. Prices start from £5.95.

15. Wimpole Estate

Wimpole Estate is a National Trust property with a house, gardens and a farm. The site has been lived on and farmed for over 2,000 years and has expansive gardens and farmland. You could spend a whole day at Wimpole exploring the estate! We visited the flower gardens and the farm which had a wooden playground. Prices start from £9.90

16. Colchester Zoo

Colchester Zoo is one of the biggest zoo’s in the UK with over 160 species across Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South American and more. There are various animal activities including zoo keeper shadowing and special events on throughout the year. Ticket prices are £22.50 but we always use our Tesco Clubcard vouchers.

East London Girl: Things to do near Bishop’s Stortford

Click Here to read about cafes and restaurants in Bishop’s Stortford and Here to read about pubs and bars in Bishop’s Stortford

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