Saffron Walden Common: Finding calm in a-mazing spaces #BetterPlaces

Over ten years ago, my husband and I come on holiday to Suffolk, and from there we went for a walk that took in a little town called Saffron Walden.

I’d never heard of it before, but my husband went there as a child.

We sat on a bench there and chatted…in that carefree way that you did when you didn’t have to stop a small person from running into the road…

Benches don’t look much do they? But THAT bench has a lot of happy memories.

Over ten years later, we regularly come back in Saffron Walden, and happily taking my kids to play on the same common, and particularly to sit with them near the wonderful turf maze they have there.

I come here alone – usually to think about where and what needs to be done next in our lives – which given the complexity of the paths within the maze itself is somewhat ironic…. we just need a little space and quiet so we can find our own centres don’t we?

It helps that the maze is located in such a beautiful town – it adds to the delicate tranquility of the place….

Just look at that blue sky in my favourite place to be #BetterPlaces @britmums #syndol #nofilters #sp

A photo posted by Helen Neale (@kiddycharts) on Feb 23, 2015 at 9:57am PST

They are often others around, particularly in the summer, but its size means that you can almost always find somewhere where you aren’t going to be disturbed from your thoughts.

When my children were smaller, I remember my husband taking my daughter to the maze to get her to go to sleep – walking around its old, and weathered bricks was even calming with a crying babe in arms. You really don’t know where your paths will take you as a parent, and there was a comfort of knowing that despite the tears, you would get through the maze in the end. The gentle sway as we walked soothed too….

Despite their simple appearances, they have been pounded by feet for hundreds of years; because of this they are strangely evocative. Imagine the sights and sounds they have seen through the ages?

Even now my kids are older, we come to the maze regularly; for quiet, for picnics, to play on the swings and slides at the bottom of the common, to run around those same bricks we used to calm our daughter – anything, but mainly to be together as a family.

I am sure that coming here will help me guide my children through the many twists and turns that growing up with bring them.

This #BetterPlaces post is in support of the Syndol Headache Relief Find Your Better Place campaign with BritMums. Syndol Headache Relief is now formulated for headaches. Visit www.syndol.co.uk for online resources with information about headaches and how to restore calm in your life.

Helen Neale

Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, website editor and a qualified counsellor with experience of working with both children and adults.She is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapists, with her own private practise. She also freelances with her local Mind organisation.Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, use those grey cells at the same time, and supplement her counselling income.KiddyCharts has reach of over 680k across socials and the site. The site works with big family brands to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. She is a specialist counsellor for neurodivergent individuals and brings this expertise to her resources and the site. She is also an ADHDer herself.KiddyCharts gives 51%+ profits to charities, focused on supporting mental health and a community in TanzaniaHelen has also worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!

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