Saffron Walden (UK Parliament constituency)

Saffron Walden
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Saffron Walden in Essex.
Location of Essex within England.
County	Essex
Electorate	77,109 (December 2010)
Major settlements	Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow, Halstead
Current constituency
Created	1885
Member of parliament	Alan Haselhurst (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	West Essex
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	East of England

Saffron Walden is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1977 by Alan Haselhurst, a Conservative.

1885-1918: The Municipal Borough of Saffron Walden, the Sessional Divisions of Freshwell, Hinckford North, and Walden, part of the Sessional Division of Hinckford South (Halstead Bench), the part of the Municipal Borough of Sudbury in the county of Essex, and the civil parish of Thaxted.

1918-1950: The Municipal Borough of Saffron Walden, the Urban District of Halstead, and the Rural Districts of Belchamp, Bumpstead, Dunmow, Halstead, Saffron Walden, and Stansted.

1950-1974: The Municipal Borough of Saffron Walden, the Urban District of Halstead, the Rural Districts of Dunmow, Halstead, and Saffron Walden, and in the Rural District of Braintree the civil parishes of Bardfield Saling and Great Bardfield.

1974-1983: The Municipal Borough of Saffron Walden, the Urban District of Halstead, and the Rural Districts of Dunmow, Halstead, and Saffron Walden.

1983-1997: The District of Uttlesford, and the District of Braintree wards of Bumpstead, Castle Hedingham, Colne Engaine and Greenstead Green, Earls Colne, Gosfield, Halstead St Andrews, Halstead Trinity, Sible Hedingham, Stour Valley Central, Stour Valley North, Stour Valley South, Upper Colne, and Yeldham.

1997-2010: The District of Uttlesford, and the District of Braintree wards of Bumpstead, Castle Hedingham, Colne Engaine and Greenstead Green, Halstead St Andrews, Halstead Trinity, Sible Hedingham, Stour Valley Central, Stour Valley North, Stour Valley South, Upper Colne, and Yeldham.

2010-present: The District of Uttlesford, and the Borough of Chelmsford wards of Boreham and The Leighs, Broomfield and The Walthams, Chelmsford Rural West, and Writtle.

The 2010 redistribution removed the area around Halstead in Braintree district from the constituency and replaced it with the northern wards of the Borough of Chelmsford.

This constituency was created on slightly different, larger boundaries under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Aside from the towns much of the area is rural farmland and small villages.