Introduction to Dedham

101km (63 miles) NE of London; 13km (8 miles) NE of Colchester

Remember Constable's painting, The Vale of Dedham? Dedham Vale lies between the towns of Colchester and Ipswich in a wide valley through which runs the River Stour, the boundary between Essex and Suffolk. It's not only the link with Constable that has made this vale so popular. It is one of the most beautiful, unspoiled areas left in southeast England. In this little Essex village on the Stour River, you're in the heart of Constable Country. One of the most memorable walks in East Anglia is along a public footpath from Dedham to Flatford Mill , which lies 1.5km (1 mile) farther down the river. Set in the midst of water meadows of the Stour, Dedham is filled with Tudor, Georgian, and Regency houses. Constable painted its church and its tower.