Dedham Vale, ESSEX

Where to stay

Blowout
Dedham's best digs are at Maison Talbooth, a former vicarage with 12 individually-styled rooms named after poets (the one to request is Wordsworth, whose Stour Valley view is worthy of a Constable painting). Expect a blend of country-house styling updated with chic, contemporary touches including a spa and outdoor swimming pool.
Doubles from £270, B&B. 

Boutique
Maison Talbooth's more relaxed sister property, Milsoms, has 15 rooms and plenty of flair thanks to quirky furnishings and interesting art. It's surrounded by gardens and exotic trees (including a giant sequoia) but, lovely as they are, they do little to dull the traffic noise from the nearby A12. Light sleeper? Bring earplugs.
Doubles from £155, B&B. 

Budget
For a full-on immersion in all things Constable, book into the Flatford Mill Field Studies Centre whose hostel-style accommodation is spread across four buildings that include Willy Lott's House and Flatford Mill itself. It's basic, but a rare opportunity to live in a scene from a famous painting.
En-suite twins from £70, B&B (minimum two night stay). 

Don't miss

Brush strokes
Dedham Vale's biggest draw is its connection to John Constable. His most famous work, The Hay Wain, was painted at Flatford Mill (which was owned by the Constable family). Stand on the bridge outside the mill and gaze across at Willy Lott's House. It's a scene barely changed in the 200 years since being captured by Constable (though obviously lacking the dog and the cart that appear in the painting's foreground). 

Art walk
Beyond The Hay Wain, Flatford Mill provided locations for other notable paintings such as Mill Stream and A Boat Passing a Lock. Plans are afoot to link such sites with others between here and Stratford St Mary into the Constable Trail, which visitors can travel between by bicycle, foot, car, boat or canoe. 

Horses for courses
Constable isn't the only artist with links to Dedham Vale. Sir Alfred Munnings was one of England's finest painters of sporting events and his home, Castle House, is now the Munnings Art Museum. Discover his love of hunting, horse racing and East Anglia's rural landscapes through the museum's 200-strong collection of sculptures, drawings and paintings. 

Paddle power
Get a duck's-eye perspective of the Stour by renting a wooden rowing boat from Boathouse restaurant. The stretch of river from Dedham to Flatford can get busy with boats in high summer, so beat the crowds by going bespoke with canoe or kayak rentals from Outdoor Hire Centre, with delivery to a riverside spot of your choosing.

Splash out
As well as boaters, the Stour appeals for wild swimming and summertime dips, plus places to picnic in the shade of willow trees along its banks. On sunny days, the stretches close to Flatford and Dedham can get rather crowded, but bear in mind this this is private land and not a public park. 

Soak it up
For the best view in town, climb the stairs to the top of Dedham Church's 130-foot tower. This 15th Century structure is a brilliant vantage point from which to look over Dedham's rooftops to the valley and fields beyond. Tours of the tower last 45 minutes and cost £3pp. 

Bottoms up

For a proper country pub experience, The Sun Inn ticks every box. Set right on Dedham's High Street in the shadow of the church, this saffron-painted medieval coaching inn wears its considerable age with pride. Inside it's all wooden beams and boards, with roaring fires in winter and a courtyard garden for summertime drinking. As well as mainstream beers, there's a good range of regional brews such as Adnam's Blackshore Stout from further up the coast in Southwold, Calvors English Lager from Ipswich and a Brewers Gold pale ale from Crouch Vale, down the road near Chelmsford. 

Even more local are the wines at Prettyfields, one of three vineyards dotted over the vale (and the closest one to Dedham). Beyond coffee and cake at its café, The Crate, the winery offers the chance to sample various vintages at the Vineyard Bar, whose terrace overlooks the vines on which the grapes were grown. For even more insight into English wine, book ahead to join a guided vineyard tour with wine tasting and lunch (£25pp). 

Feed me

Get the day off to a hearty start with breakfast at Hall Farm. Located in Stratford St Mary on the Suffolk side of the river, this combination of café and farm shop is big on local produce. Go for a full-on English which includes Hall Farm's own sausages, or toast served with Essex-made Tiptree jams. 

Tiptree jams also feature in the cream teas at Essex Rose tea room, which occupies a 16th Century building bang in the heart of Dedham. Keep it simple with scones or pig out on generous slabs of bakewell tart and other own-made cakes, or go large with afternoon tea's three tiers of naughtily decadent treats.

A brilliant bet for dinner is the restaurant at Milsoms, which serves elevated brasserie cuisine either indoors or outside on an all-weather terrace. The Mediterranean-influenced menu features the likes of lamb shank or shepherd's pie alongside vegetarian options such as Greek-style pumpkin pie (plus a well-chosen list of international wines). Mains from around £15. 

For a real treat, book into Le Talbooth, a fine-dining restaurant in a half-timbered former toll house on the riverbank. Starched tablecloths and smartly-dressed staff give dining here a sense of occasion, while ingredients such as Dedham Vale beef and berries from a nearby farm provide plenty of local flavour. Mains from around £30.

LGBT+

It wasn't much fun being lesbian in these parts in the mid-1600s, when Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General, led his misogynistic crusade. Be it witchcraft, a disfigurement or any 'dark arts' that seemed out of the ordinary, Hopkins' campaign saw hundreds of women in Essex and Suffolk being accused, interrogated and hanged.

Best foot forward

Follow in John Constable's footsteps on this easy walk across the water meadows (the artist would walk to school in Dedham from his home downriver at Flatford). Starting at the Boathouse restaurant, cross the river into Suffolk and then turn right onto the riverside footpath. Follow the flow through the verdant floodplain as far as the wooden footbridge, whereupon cross over and keep going as far as the next river crossing at Flatford. Hop over to explore Flatford Mill, Willy Lott's House and other locations that inspired the artist to pick up his paints, then stop for coffee or ice cream at the National Trust's café.  When ready, cross back into Essex and, staying on this side of the Stour, head back upstream towards Dedham, following handy signposts and keeping an eye on Dedham Church peeping over the treetops to help guide you all the way back to the village. 

Take me home

For a cool and quirky collection of jewellery, gifts and home accessories, hit up the Dedham outpost of RSVP (whose main shop is in Colchester). Spread across two floors of a period cottage on the High Street, its treasures run from tasteful and stylish to curious and kitsch. Well worth exploring. 

Find a broader selection of original art and home décor at Dedham Art & Craft Centre, at the other end of the High Street. The ground floor of this converted church is given over to contemporary homewares, with upstairs shared by over 60 regional artisans and one-of-a-kind retailers.