Located in the heart of town, The Cross Keys offers a warm atmosphere with breakfast cooked to your liking, a cozy bar, and delicious meals at the restaurant. Stay connected with WiFi and unwind on the outdoor tennis court or explore nearby attractions.
Imperial War Museum Duxford - 12 min drive - 14.6 km
Getting around
Stansted Airport (STN) - 36 min drive
Cambridge (CBG) - 42 min drive
Luton Airport (LTN) - 84 min drive
Elsenham Station - 13 min drive
Saffron Walden Great Chesterford Station - 15 min drive
Audley End Station - 15 min drive
Restaurants
The Temeraire - 1 min walk
Zafferano Lounge - 2 min walk
the Railway Arms - 7 min walk
The Cross Keys Hotel - 1 min walk
The Curious Goat - 1 min walk
About this property
The Cross Keys
The Cross Keys puts you within a 15-minute drive of Audley End House and Imperial War Museum Duxford. After getting a workout at the outdoor tennis courts, you can grab a bite to eat at the restaurant or unwind with a drink at the bar/lounge.
At a glance
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Hotel size
10 rooms
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Arriving/Leaving
Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM
Early check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out time is 10:00 AM
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Special check-in instructions
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
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Required at check-in
Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
Government-issued photo ID may be required
Minimum check-in age is 18
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Pets
Pets not allowed
WIFI
Internet
Free WiFi in public areas
LOCAL_PARKING
Parking
Onsite parking limited
DONE
Other information
Smoke-free property
Property amenities
Food and drink
Free breakfast
Restaurant
Bar/lounge
Traveling with children
Children's menu
What to do
Cycling nearby
Horse riding nearby
Facilities
Outdoor tennis court
Room amenities
More
Daily housekeeping
Fees & policies
Policies
This property does not have elevators.
This property accepts credit/debit cards.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard
Also known as
Cross Keys Inn Saffron Walden
Cross Keys Inn Saffron Walden
Cross Keys Saffron Walden
Inn The Cross Keys Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden The Cross Keys Inn
Inn The Cross Keys
The Cross Keys Saffron Walden
Cross Keys Inn
Cross Keys
The Cross Keys Inn
The Cross Keys Saffron Walden
The Cross Keys Inn Saffron Walden
Frequently asked questions
Are pets allowed at The Cross Keys?
Sorry, pets aren't allowed.
Is parking offered on site at The Cross Keys?
Yes. Parking spots may be limited.
What are the check-in and check-out times at The Cross Keys?
Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM. Check-out time is 10:00 AM.
What is there to do at The Cross Keys and nearby?
Practice your swing on the tennis courts.
Are there restaurants at or near The Cross Keys?
Yes, there's an onsite restaurant.
What's the area around The Cross Keys like?
The Cross Keys is a short 2-minute walk from Market Square and 5 minutes' walk from Bridge End Gardens.
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Reviews
The Cross Keys Reviews
8.8
Excellent
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
9.2
Cleanliness
9.6
Location
9.0
Staff & service
8.4
Eco-friendliness
8.8
Property conditions & facilities
What guests liked
Breakfast was consistently described as very good, delicious, and cooked to order. (13 reviews)
From real guest reviews summarized by AI.
Popular mentions
Room
Breakfast
Service staff
Food
Towns
Bar
Pub
Restaurant
Parking
Air conditioning
Reviews
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 23, 2025
Just spot on
Excellent all over.
Fabulous food
Fabulous room
Spot on.
Melvyn
Melvyn, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Aug 10, 2025
1 night away in Saffron Waldren
Great 1 nighter
Very quirky pub hotel with bags of character
ROBERT
ROBERT, 1-night trip
8/10 Very good
Sep 30, 2025
1 night away.
Room clean & comfortable. Had problem with tea & coffee facilities but soon sort by evening staff. Lovely room in front of hotel.Good evening meal& breakfast in morning.Nothing to much problem.
Barry
Barry, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Aug 1, 2025
A fabulous place to stay
Amazing and great value lunch, a fabulous breakfast, staff were all lovely and helpful, car park not on site but this was not a problem as the nearest is a few minutes walk away and not too expensive ( download the app for ease) free WiFi and a comfortable bed with a lovely room.
Verified traveler
1-night trip
8/10 Very good
Jul 19, 2025
Great place to stay
We loved Saffron Walden, the hotel location and staff. We will definitely return.
STACEY
STACEY, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jul 11, 2025
Very good all round
It was really good. Stayed for a couple of weeks on business. Rooms were comfortable, staff were very friendly, WiFi worked great and the food was really good.
Ian
Ian, 4-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
May 29, 2025
A fantastic property in the heart of Saffron Walden with bags of charactrr and friendly staff.
Terry
Terry, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 17, 2025
Extremely nice hotel with a lot of character. One of our top hotels in our 30 trip to England
Brian
Brian, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Aug 20, 2025
Perfect Stay in a Beautiful Town
Fabulous stay , friendly staff , nothing was too much trouble. Food was beautiful at reasonable prices. Room was warm and very comfortable bed. Facilities good , the only thing that would improve is maybe a little redecoration , not to take the originality out of this historic building but just to freshen up a bit and a mirror on the wall under the television for ease when styling hair etc whilst sat at the desk. This would not stop us staying again though - perfect stay
Karen
Karen, 1-night trip
6/10 Good
Jul 26, 2025
Avoid the rooms facing the centre.
Very old hotel, room was ok, bed really comfortable, very small TV, hot water for the sink took ages to come through.
My room was at the front of the hotel very noisy with the traffic and people and the road sweeper at 6am.
Food was average, no fish & chips as the fish was defrosting 😂, only had all day to sort that, had the burger and asked without sauce and came with sauce.
Finally, chargeable car park which is a 5 minute walk away.
David
David, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Aug 6, 2024
Amazing
Will be back again soon
Amylouise
Amylouise, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jan 19, 2023
Stop over
Lovely room which was very quirky, staff friendly and helpful, breakfast was also spot on
Dan
Dan, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Nov 6, 2023
Excellent character and restaurant
Richard
Richard, 1-night trip
8/10 Very good
Mar 3, 2025
Very historic place which dates back to the 1500's .
The character of the property has been largely kept, this does include sloping floor in the bedroom.
Jacqueline
Jacqueline, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Mar 6, 2024
Highly recommended
Lovely room and ensuite - very clean comfortable and beautifully decorated. The staff were very helpful and friendly. The breakfast was delicious. I would definitely stay there again.
Karmel
Karmel, 1-night trip
8/10 Very good
Mar 17, 2023
Old style pub with rooms
Old style pub with rooms.
Verified traveler
1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jul 4, 2023
Great find, would highly recommend.
Kenneth
Kenneth, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
May 18, 2023
It was a great time and experience
Francis
Francis, 3-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Nov 24, 2022
Nice hotel/inn with comfortable rooms
A lovely hotel/inn with quite small but very comfortable rooms. Service was a little slow, particularly at breakfast, but was delivered with a smile.
Alan
Alan, 1-night trip
8/10 Very good
Jul 12, 2023
Very old building, in keeping with the town itself. Friendly, efficient staff, nice room and cooked breakfast. Very easy to find, on main through road. Cheap parking nearby.
Edward
Edward, 1-night trip
4/10 Fair
Oct 19, 2024
Hotels.com
I'm sure it would have been a lovely stay if Hotels.com had actually booked the hotel for our weekend stay but when we arrived the cross keys hadn't received the booking from Hotels.com
Shelley
Shelley, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 24, 2024
We were allowed to leave our cases while went to music festival in towm. Staff were more than helpful. Breakfast was superior
Janet
Janet, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 27, 2023
This is the place if you want to stay in an historic hotel. Expect it to be charming but also expect stairs and off site parking. But the staff is wonderful, the pub is a joy and the food very good. And the whole area is walkable.
Just great.
Phillip
Phillip, 4-night trip
8/10 Very good
Nov 12, 2024
Very old historic building with lots of character. Room large, bed comfy, coffee machine and biscuits but no bottled water. Good shower, good breakfast included cooked to order. Staff friendly and helpful. WiFi rubbish, TV not great but was cool that it was hidden in the panelled wall. Short walk to paid parking. Overall a positive stay, would stay again.
Verified traveler
1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 17, 2024
Comfortable stay near the Fry Gallery
Friendly and helpful staff. Comfortable room and bed. Quiet night. The stylish roll top bath needed a stool for access by customers with old joints!