Stepping Into A Living Art Work

A walk through the villages of tranquil Dedham Vale reveals the inspiration for the work of artists John Constable and Alfred Munnings

- James Clarke

LACING ITS SPARKLING way through rolling farmlands and ancient woodlands, the River Stour forms part of a living masterpiece. With its hedges, wildflower meadows and pretty villages, this lowland area on the border between Suffolk and Essex has long been immortalised by some of Britain’s greatest artists. Within the valley lies Dedham Vale, an Area of Outstanding National Beauty. Home to the villages of Dedham, Flatford and East Bergholt, it provided inspiration for John Constable and Alfred Munnings. Each captured local settings in works that celebrate this quiet corner of England.

This 7½ mile walk starts in Dedham, home for many years of Munnings. It follows the river to Flatford, the subject of Constable’s most famous painting, before continuing to his birthplace, East Bergholt. Finally, the route returns to Flatford, before finishing back in Dedham.

Dedham and Munnings

The water meadows of the River Stour pass along the northern edge of Dedham. Here, they form the boundary between the two counties. The open ground is grazed by cattle, while pollarded willows grow along the riverside.

Once a Saxon manor, Dedham was identified in the Domesday Book. The village today is an appealing combination of medieval and Georgian architecture.

The walk starts at Castle House, which sits a mile south of the village centre, on Castle Hill. This was Alfred Munnings’ home from 1919 to his death in 1959. A mix of Tudor and Georgian styles, today it is home to The Munnings Art Museum.

Although mainly remembered for his magnificent equine portraits, Munnings also painted landscapes.

A number of his depictions of the vale and the Stour are displayed at the museum.