Dedham River Trail

Apr 2nd, 2023

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 it's 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 figure of 8. My main criticism of the trail is the negligent failure of the local authority 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 year, especially the Cattawade to Dedham section. The overhanging thornbushes need to be cut back in May, but it usually takes until September for the work to be done.
Mar 12th, 2023

Visited on Weekend Wait time No wait Reservation recommended No More
Dec 17th, 2022

Visited on Weekend Wait time No wait Reservation recommended No More
Jul 23rd, 2022

Visited on Public holiday More
Jan 27th, 2022