about the dedham vale and constable country

CONSTABLE COUNTRY

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The Dedham Vale and surrounding area

The Dedham Vale and Dedham Village

Situated on the Suffolk-Essex border, the Dedham Vale has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1970. With its hedged water meadows, copses and riverbank willows, the landscape is perhaps the epitome of the farmed English countryside. Its pastoral scenes are world famous as the settings used by the artist John Constable, which have in turn attracted new generations of artists from Cedric Morris and Sir Alfred Munnings to the copyist Tom Keating.

The designated area of the AONB stretches along the River Stour upstream from Manningtree at it’s eastern end to within one mile of Bures to the west, and includes in part the parishes of East Bergholt, Dedham, Stratford St Mary, Langham, Higham, Boxted, Nayland and Stoke-by-Nayland, Little Horkesley, Wissington, and Wormingford.

A wealthy region in the middle ages, the landscape is dotted with picturesque medieval villages and imposing churches. With a population of under 10,000 the Dedham Vale remains essentially a farming area.

Dedham itself is the jewel in the Vale’s crown. Standing on the banks of the River Stour, its broad High Street has a fine mix of stunning Georgian fronted mansions and earlier vernacular buildings - dominated by St Mary’s Church, dating from the 15th century.

For more information & images of the Dedham Vale go to:

http://www.dedhamvalesociety.org.uk/Views.html

Manningtree and Mistley

Manningtree is England’s smallest market town, located on the Essex/Suffolk border on The River Stour’s tidal estuary, at the gateway to Constable Country, with Flatford and Dedham only a few miles away.

In the middle ages it became a thriving port made rich by the wool and cloth trade. Through the 18th century Manningtree and neighbouring Mistley continued as important small ports and brewing centres for East Anglia. Many of the town’s houses were given imposing Georgian fronts at this time, reflecting the wealth of the times. However, Manningtree and Mistley's main claim to fame comes from their association with Matthew Hopkins, the 17th Century Witchfinder General -- the man who claimed to hold the Devil's own list of all the witches in England!

Today it remains a thriving market town with two markets a week (on Fridays and Saturdays). The old port is now mainly used for leisure and sailing. The town is well served with shops, pubs and restaurants, and even has its own museum and small sandy beach!

For more information on Manningtree and Mistley go to:

http://www.manningtreeaz.co.uk/

The Glebe Farm, Langham by John Constable

Things to do and see

- Flatford Mill and Willy Lott’s Cottage (National Trust).

- Sir Alfred Munning’s Museum (Dedham).

- Rowing Boat Hire (Dedham)

- River Boat Trips (Flatford)

- Jimmy’s Farm (Wherstead, near Ipswich)

- Picturesque Suffolk villages of Lavenham, Kersey, and Long Melford.

- Kentwell Hall, Long Melford. Tudor events.

- Sutton Hoo Saxon Burial Site, Woodbridge, Suffolk.

- Suffolk Heritage Coast including Orford, Woodbridge, Snape, Aldeburgh and Southwold. All within 1 hours drive.

- Essex and Suffolk coastal walks.

- Colchester - Britain’s oldest recorded town, with its Norman castle and Roman walls, award winning Zoo, museums and galleries.

- Gainsborough House Museum, Sudbury.

- Nearby seaside resorts of Clacton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze and Frinton-on-Sea.

- Nature reserves at Alton Water, Fingeringhoe Wick, Abberton Reservoir, and Minsmere.

- Beth Chatto Gardens near Colchester.

- East Bergholt Place Gardens and Plant Centre.

- Cities of London, Cambridge and Norwich all within 1 hours train journey or 2 hours car journey.

Eating Out

There are loads of good restaurants, and great gastro-pubs in the Dedham Vale and surrounding area. Here are just some that we can personally recommend:

- The Sun Inn (Dedham)

- Milsoms (Dedham)

-The Boathouse (Dedham)

- Lucca (Manningtree)

- The Thorn (Mistley)

- The Butt and Oyster (Pin Mill)

- The Red Lion (Manningtree)

- The Treble Tile (West Bergholt)

- Hall Farm Restaurant (Stratford St Mary)