Dedham Vale from your Suffolk Holiday Cottage Barge
Dedham Vale on the Essex-Suffolk border has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and it’s easy to see why.
We think Dedham Vale is an ideal piece of East Anglia to explore when you’re staying on a Woodfarm Barge.
Even if you’ve ever visited the area personally there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with some of the wonderful vistas on offer in this Designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
That’s because Dedham Vale has inspired some of our most famous artists in history to produce paintings of it’s natural beauty.
Constable and Gainsborough, among many others, worked in the picturesque meadows, rivers, rolling farmland and ancient woodlands. Painting such internationally recognised works as Constable’s ‘Dedham Vale’ in 1802 and ‘The Hay Wain’ in 1821.
Indeed, we can still pay a visit to Flatford Mill in the Dedham Vale AONB and see the almost unchanged spot upon which Constable produced his most famous work. Here’s the original and then photobombed by Woodfarm guests Sue & Buster just to prove it!
You can plan your visit to Flatford Mill by first visiting the National Trust’s official page for the place.
With a population of fewer than 10,000 in the entire AONB, it’s as perfect an example of unspoilt landscapes as one can find in the UK. Due to the fact that much of our traditional grasslands here in East Anglia have been drained and ploughed, the wildflower meadows of the Dedham Vale AONB and the surrounding area are some of the most precious historical landscapes in the country.
There’s no shortage of natural wonder to absorb on your trip to Dedham Vale; however, the AONB is also a perfect jumping-off point for a visit to the large towns of Colchester and Ipswich for a fun family day out shopping and exploring.
We have another Blog post with a video, highlighting the walk from Dedham to Flatford, along the River Stour., and yet another Blog Post and video, with more of an insight on Dedham, telling you what it’s like.
A good place to visit online to help you get the most out of your trip to Dedham Vale is the official AONB website.
If visiting the Dedham Vale AONB whilst staying on a Woodfarm Barge sounds to you like a small slice of heaven (it does to us!) then we invite you to join us to do just that.
