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River Stour (Suffolk)
The River Stour and the surrounding landscape was made famous by the many paintings of the area by John Constable, who knew the river and its locality intimately as his father was the local miller.
Such was his love of the Stour that the artist continued to paint scenes of the river and nearby villages even after he had left the area to live in London.
This beautiful river, which forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk and Essex, runs in a southerly and then easterly direction through a still rural landscape with few towns, but many unspoilt villages such as Dedham.
In 1968 the River Stour Trust was set up to ensure that future generations will be able to navigate the river. Several locks have been rebuilt in the traditional style, and it is planned that more locks will be brought back into working order.
Today, much of the Stour valley – rich in wheat, pastureland and fine trees – is designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty. The estuary provides sheltered water allowing a variety of boating activities. The river itself is really only suitable for small manually propelled pleasure boats as powered craft are only permitted between Ballingdon Bridge and Henny.
