Known the world over for its atmospheric skies and captivating natural beauty - of course made famous by the artist John Constable - this is an inspirational place to spend a holiday, says Laura Scamponi

Constable Country is situated along the border of Essex and Suffolk, in an area you will also hear referred to as the Dedham Vale and Stour Valley, which is dissected by the meandering River Stour.

Visitors to Constable Country cherish the fact that little has changed in this beautiful part of the world since Britain’s most venerable artist sat sketching on the banks of the scenic River Stour…

The area is known the world over for its wide open skies and captivating natural beauty, of course made famous by the artist John Constable, who was born in the pretty Suffolk village of East Bergholt in 1776 and attended school in the nearby Essex village of Dedham.

Popularly known as Constable Country even during the artist’s lifetime, Constable famously wrote in a letter to his friend: ‘I associate my careless boyhood with all that lies on the banks of the Stour. Those scenes made me a painter and I am grateful.’

It is little surprise that many of Constable’s most famous works immortalised the area, perhaps the most eminent of which is ‘The Hay Wain’, a scene depicting a horse-drawn cart in the water, haymakers at work in the distance and a charming little cottage rented by a farmer called Willy Lott.

Visit today and you’ll see that the river path and Willy Lott’s cottage (which together with Flatford Mill is leased to environmental education charity the Field Studies Council, offering various environment and art-based courses) remain much as they were in Constable’s time. For information about courses visit www.field-studies-council.org/flatfordmill or telephone 0845 330 7368

Situated just upstream from Flatford Mill is the National Trust owned 16th century Bridge Cottage, which houses an exhibition on the artist. From here you can enjoy a variety of walks along the River Stour and refreshments in the charming riverside tea room as well as a shop, information centre and boat hire. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-flatfordbridg... for further details or telephone 01206 298260

Constable Country’s overriding appeal for visitors is the fact they really do get to experience traditional English lowland landscape at its most serene and unspoilt.

Dedham Vale was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1970 guaranteeing that the landscape would remain protected for the nation. Prior to this - as it became an increasingly popular destination for artists and tourists - there had been pressure to develop the area.

Fortunately, post-war development applications faced tough opposition from local people, including the artist Sir Alfred Munnings, who was born in Mendham, Suffolk, in 1878. Munnings lived at Castle House in Dedham for around 40 years and the property has been turned into an art museum as a memorial to the great painter.

Castle House is unique in offering visitors an opportunity to observe its interior more or less as Munnings left it. There are normally around 200 of his original paintings on display as well as a chance to see inside the artist’s garden studio. For further information visit www.siralfredmunnings.co.uk or telephone 01206 322127

Making the most of your visit

Many would agree that the best way to appreciate Constable Country’s rolling farmland, ancient woodland, flower-filled meadows and picturesque villages is to explore the area on foot or bicycle.

In recent years The Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project - an organisation which seeks to champion the environmental and cultural quality of the Stour Valley - has produced the following car-free itineraries designed to encourage sustainable tourism in the area:

• A day walking through Constable Country
• Exploring the Stour Valley on foot
• Days out cycling on the Painters’ Trail

These are available to view and download by visiting http://www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org/downloads.asp?PageId=128

If you do opt for a car-free break, it’s a good idea to use Manningtree Station as your gateway to Constable Country. The station signs now read ‘Manningtree for Dedham Vale’ and a footpath from here leads directly to Flatford and Dedham, requiring no road walking at all.

Another useful publication is The Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project’s ‘Constable Country - Keep it Special’ leaflet, also available to view and download on their website: http://www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org/downloads.asp?PageId=106

And the National Trust has produced a map and guide, providing more specific information to visitors arriving by train. Entitled ‘Countryside Walk - Flatford and Constable Country’, it begins at Manningtree Station and takes in Flatford, with an optional loop allowing further exploration as far as Dedham.

For those arriving by car, you could also park at either Flatford or Dedham and start your walk from here. Visit http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-flatford-constable_walk.pdf for details.

Although spectacular during summertime - when it attracts many thousands of visitors - it is important to emphasise that Constable Country is equally as enchanting throughout the rest of the year.

During March and April it’s an absolute joy to witness the lambs in the meadows and first splashes of spring colour as the bulbs push their way up through the soil, while the combination of autumn sunlight and golden/red foliage in late September and October is nothing short of a visual feast.

And the sky and scenery takes on a different character again during winter, when you might be lucky enough to witness this unforgettable landscape beneath a blanket of pristine white snow.

What lies beyond?

Venture beyond East Bergholt, Dedham and Flatford and you will find a wealth of other picturesque places to explore; from the wonderfully conserved medieval ‘wool’ towns and villages of Hadleigh, Lavenham, Long Melford, Cavendish and Clare to the historic town of Manningtree and its neighbouring village of Mistley, which are located at the point where the River Stour widens into a broad estuary.
Look out for features about these places elsewhere on the Visit Suffolk Coast website.