Dedham Vale, Essex

Directions: Leave Manningtree station and head down the slope to the right, into the car park. At the bottom, exit onto a cinder track flanked by a long, low, rusted metal wall. Follow this to the right (alongside the car park) until the track veers to the left, at which point turn right under the railway and continue all the way to the bank of the Stour - the river that marks the border between Essex and (on the other side) Suffolk. 

Turn left along the raised riverbank (signposted Flatford/Dedham) through low-lying fields and wetlands. It's worth keeping your eyes peeled on this stretch for wildlife encounters: cuckoos singing in spring, or grass snakes basking in summer sun. The wetlands over the river in Suffolk are a Site of Special Scientific Interest; if you know your kestrels from your kites, there's a strong chance of seeing birds of prey gliding overhead. At a kissing gate, ignore the onward path to Dedham and turn right towards Flatford, passing alongside a large concrete sluice. Keep going straight until the vegetation on the right opens up to reveal an expanse of water. The building on the other side, Flatford Mill, was once owned by John Constable's family, which is how it came to be captured in so many of the his works.

Carry on past the lock and cross over the bridge ahead, turning right at thatched Bridge Cottage (which dates from the late 1600s). Continue past the visitor centre's café to admire the lovely old buildings (all of which appear in Constable paintings, from the thatched, wooden granary dressed in colourful climbing roses to Valley Farm's amazingly well-preserved, medieval manor) on the way to Flatford Mill itself. Pause here at the water's edge to look across at Willy Lott's cottage, but don't be surprised if the scene gives you a sense of déja vu. Add in a dog and a man on a cart and voila, you've got The Hay Wain: Constable's most famous work, which was painted from this very spot two centuries ago. It's amazing to see how little the view has changed in all that time. 

When you're ready to move on, retrace your steps to Bridge Cottage and turn right up the hill, then left on a lane. When this levels out after descending, join the footpath on the right that continues ahead, paralleling the road. Where this crosses another path, cross the road and (signposted Dedham) stride into an open field. See that church tower rising above the treetops in the distance? That's Dedham, providing a handy visual reference point to head towards. 

At the bottom of the slope, pass through a kissing gate and keep straight ahead on a cinder track, signposted Fenbridge. At the river, avoid the temptation to cross the bridge and instead veer right onto a path across the floodplain, soon to rejoin the river. Now it's just a case of heading upstream to the next bridge, passing through verdant waterside meadows that are popular with swimmers, picnickers and boaters in summer. 

At the road, cross the bridge back into Essex and stay straight ahead into Dedham, which is a lovely village with ancient roots and brightly-painted, timber-framed homes. The road T-junctions with the High Street opposite Dedham Church, which overlooks the excellent Sun Inn. Step inside this saffron-yellow, medieval coaching inn to find wooden beams, roaring fires in winter and a summertime courtyard garden. Reward yourself for getting this far with a hearty pub lunch and a pint or two, with a good choice of local beers and ciders sourced from both sides of the Stour. 

If you fancy squeezing in a bit more Constable culture after lunch, pop into the church. Besides climbing the stairs for the views from atop the 15th Century church tower, the big draw here is The Ascension - one of Constable's few religious paintings, which hangs on display in the nave. Otherwise (or afterwards) turn left out of The Sun Inn (or right on exiting the church) and proceed down the High Street. Where the road bends sharply to the right, take the footpath on the left back into open countryside and on through a kissing gate, signposted Manningtree. Press on until this becomes a paved farm track, then keep going across another field to reconnect with the River Stour at the concrete sluice that you walked past earlier. 

From here, it's a case of retracing your steps back to the starting point, via the riverbank and then off to the right on the track back to Manningtree station. And if you're feeling inspired - as Constable was - by the sights of the lovely Stour Valley, perhaps next time you can even bring a palette of paints yourself.

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