Dedham River Trail — Attraction in Babergh

Beautiful, meandering River Trail on the Suffolk/Essex border, linking several villages immortalised by the artist John Constable. But you don't have to be a Constable fan to appreciate the views however, (& many dogs love the paths just as much as history hunting visitors). There are a few permutations of the trail, that overall forms a basic Y-junction, connecting Flatford & Cattawade into funneled paths towards Dedham. Since Fen Bridge was restored, it's again possible to cross between paths on both sides of the riverbanks in a basic figure of 8. My main criticism of Dedham River Trail is the negligent failure of the relevant local authorities to maintain pavements & cross country paths leading away from the riverbanks. The state of some pavements on the steep hills & link roads leading away from Dedham centre, is downright dangerous, so overgrown & littered with tree debris have they become. Also, if approaching the trail from the Cattawade end of the River Stour, (on foot from Manningtree Station), there is the tunnel/level crossing to be negotiated with no pedestrian footway. The unfortunate aspect of Dedham Vale is the nearby encroachment of the A12, & as a result, aggressive drivers using the local lanes as rat runs. The riverbank paths also become almost impassably overgrown during the middle of the year. By far the worst is the Cattawade to Dedham section, entered from the Public Footpath sign at the White Bridge. The brambles, nettles, thistles, & overhanging thornbushes are dangerous & need to be cut back in May, but it usually takes until September for the work to be done. Also, early morning when the tall riverbank grasses are drenched in dew, it's impossible to walk through this section without getting soaked from...

Very nice walk along the river. Big fields across the road, horses on the other side. Mill near by. You have restaurant and boat hire on the corner. A lot of people coming with the paddle boards or just walking dogs.The only minus that so many teenagers leaving their rubbish behind. Even if it's clearly says no BBQ, pick up rubbish after...

A nice relaxing walk, and a great place for a row too. In the warmer weather its fantastic for setting up for the day to enjoy a picnic, paddle, and boat rowing. Also fab for taking dogs on a...