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What am I looking at?
From this vantage point you can see an area of wetland, including freshwater marsh that is fed by the River Stour. Throughout the year, photos from this post will capture water levels including storage of floodwater.
What lives here?
The River Stour is a hub for fish life, hosting rare species such as bullheads and smelt, that live alongside common river-dwellers like roach, bream and pike.
Sea trout are also known to migrate along the Stour to feed and grow before returning to their breeding grounds as far away as Scotland between November and January.
Down by the river, you are bound to come across a vibrant range of insects such as butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies too.
Looking back…
The route on which this post sits was said to be part of seminal painter, John Constable’s walk to school. He attended Dedham Grammar School, which although no longer an active school, has been conserved as a grade 1 listed building on Dedham high street.
Constable’s pieces were created at a time when this area was dominated by agricultural industry such as the oat, barley and wool trade. Many paintings capture typical industrial scenes such as produce being pulled by horse-drawn barges along the River Stour.
Part of Dedham Vale’s charm and reason for its continued conservation is the resemblance that many areas still bear today to the landscapes that Constable was painting in the early 18th century.
Walks and more
Our Constable Country Walking Guide details the many walking routes in this area. Walking through picturesque country trails between the villages of Flatford, Dedham and East Berholt is a firm favourite of many visitors to the area.