Pictures of Dedham

in the county of Essex

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About Dedham

There are two things that immediately strike you about this enchanting village, the first is the opulence of the beautiful 15th-century church, and the second is the fascinating view of the River Stour, which, like the church, has featured in Constable paintings.

A saunter through the main streets of the village reveals an attractive array of Georgian fronted buildings and old inns. Of particular note is the Marlborough Head Inn, an impressive medieval half timber frame building of the 15th-century that was the home of a clothier until it became an inn in the 17th-century. The old grammar school, dates 1732 was attended by Constable, he would have walked here from his home in nearby East Bergholt. Worthy of note too, is Shermans Hall which has connections with General Sherman of the American Civil War. The Sherman family were medieval wool merchants. Apart from these historic 'showpiece' properties, the road into the village is interspersed with lovely old houses and cottages, that are each fronted by attractive lawned and flower bedecked gardens. It is a very English picture were roses ramble at will around old front doors.

The church of St.Mary the Virgin, remains in testimoney to the huge generosity of the wool merchants of medieval times. The nave roof is richly decorated with the Insignia of the Guilds of Weavers and Millers and the ceiling of the passage through the tower shows glorious carvings embellished with designs of the Tudor Rose and Portcullis, together with the trademark of Thomas Webbe one of the leading wealthy wool merchants whose money helped to fund the church. Interestingly, a pew in the church commemorates the first moon landing. The church is overwhelming in it's magnificence, it has many ancient reminders of the village's historic past and is a constant source of fascination.

It is not surprising to learn that John Constable's father had a watermill here. This is now replaced by one of red brick but the original watermill was featured in one of Constable's paintings that hangs in the Victoria and Albert museum. This is a beautiful village that will give you many pleasant memories.

Places to visit - Flatford Mill and Lock, Misterly Towers and Beth Chatto Gardens. The nearby town of Colchester has a museum and there are enjoyable trips on the beautiful River Stour which leads to the open sea at Harwich.

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Planning a visit? Please see below for other recommended towns, attractions and recommended hotels nearby.

Distances and directions below are approximate. For true driving distances please visit the AA Route Planner

Recommended attractions near Dedham

Dedham Art and Craft Centre	(0.2 miles, 0.4 km)	Pictures
Bridge Cottage	(1.4 miles, 2.2 km, direction E)	Pictures
Flatford Mill	(1.4 miles, 2.2 km, direction E)	Pictures
High Woods Country Park	(5.2 miles, 8.3 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Beth Chatto Gardens	(5.8 miles, 9.4 km, direction S)	Pictures
Colchester Castle	(5.9 miles, 9.6 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Bourne Mill	(6.6 miles, 10.7 km, direction SW)	Pictures
St. Botolph's Priory	(6.7 miles, 10.8 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Colchester Zoo	(6.9 miles, 11.2 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Jimmy's Farm	(7.1 miles, 11.4 km, direction NE)	Pictures
Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich	(10.2 miles, 16.4 km, direction NE)	Pictures
East Anglian Railway Museum	(10.3 miles, 16.6 km, direction W)	Pictures
St. Osyth Priory	(11.5 miles, 18.5 km, direction S)	Pictures
Dedham Vale	(12.6 miles, 20.2 km, direction NW)	Pictures
Gainsborough's House	(12.7 miles, 20.4 km, direction NW)	Pictures

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Recommended towns near Dedham

Flatford, in the county of Suffolk (0.9 miles, 1.5 km)
On arrival in Flatford there is little to prepare you for its overwhelming beauty, but you should not be surprised, for this after all is Constable Country, an area made famous by the great landscape painter and which features in so many of his pictures.
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East Bergholt, in the county of Suffolk (1.7 miles, 2.7 km, direction NE)
This enchanting village gained lasting fame as Constable's birth place. It also has a very unusual medieval bell cage.
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Manningtree, a Historic Market Town in the county of Essex (3.3 miles, 5.2 km, direction E)
The town shows fine examples of weavers cottages and walks through the town reveal fine Georgian facades behind which are Tudor and Elizabethan houses.
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Mistley, in the county of Essex (4.0 miles, 6.4 km, direction E)
Mistley lies on the south bank of the River Stour not far from Manningtree, to which it is joined via a tree-lined walk along the river which is oddly called The Walls.
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Nayland, in the county of Suffolk (5.0 miles, 8.0 km, direction W)
The heady beauty of Suffolk has been the inspiration of artist's for centuries and the village of Nayland, in the hear of Constable country is no exception.
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Polstead, in the county of Suffolk (5.1 miles, 8.1 km, direction NW)
This delightful village has all the charm of a picture postcard. Almost overlooking the main village street and the village pond is the beautiful church dedicated to St. Mary which has the only medieval stone spire in Suffolk.
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Greenstead, in the county of Essex (5.6 miles, 9.1 km, direction SW)
Greenstead Church is said to be the oldest wooden building in the world. Well worth a visit..
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Colchester, a Historic Market Town in the county of Essex (6.4 miles, 10.3 km, direction SW)
Interestingly, this is England's oldest-recorded town. It has stood on the banks of the River Colne amid fine Essex countryside throughout some of history's most tempestuous times.
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Kersey, in the county of Suffolk (7.5 miles, 12.1 km, direction NW)
Quintessentially English village of a style for which Suffolk is renowned. Winding streets full of exquisite properties, some dating back to Tudor times.
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Fingringhoe, in the county of Essex (8.3 miles, 13.3 km, direction S)
Delightful Fingringhoe is home to one of the most outstanding Nature Reserves in the country. It was formed out of a disused gravel pit near the estuary of the beautiful River Colne and today it is the premier flagship of the Essex Wildlife Trust.
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Ipswich, in the county of Suffolk (9.5 miles, 15.3 km, direction NE)
This is a town that can trace its history back to the Stone-Age, it has been a successive settlement throughout the ages and has been populated by settlers from the Iron-Age,...
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Brightlingsea, in the county of Essex (10.1 miles, 16.2 km, direction S)
A medieval port on the Colne estuary, Brightlingsea was once an associate member of the Cinque Ports. The history of the town goes back to Roman times and it's industry has always been linked to the sea.
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Marks Tey, in the county of Essex (10.1 miles, 16.3 km, direction SW)
Its location is ideally suited to anyone wishing to explore fine Essex countryside, coast and the beautiful town of Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded town.
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Bildeston, a Picturesque Village in the county of Suffolk (10.9 miles, 17.5 km, direction N)
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St Osyth, in the county of Essex (11.7 miles, 18.9 km, direction S)
The village is noted for its medieval Priory, a Grade I listed building which started life as a foundation for Augustinian Canons around 1127, it later became an abbey which was eventually dissolved in 1539.
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Nearby travel help

Manningtree Station	(2.2 miles, 3.6 km, direction E)
Mistley Station	(4.1 miles, 6.6 km, direction E)
London Stansted Airport	(32.4 miles, 52.2 km, direction W)
M11 Junction 8	(34.3 miles, 55.2 km, direction W)
M11 Junction 9	(35.2 miles, 56.6 km, direction W)
Cambridge Airport	(38.6 miles, 62.2 km, direction NW)
Dedham to London	(57.2 miles, 92.0 km, direction SW)

Hotels & Accommodation in Dedham

Hotel Name	Approximate distance from Dedham center
Ramada Colchester	(3.4 miles, 5.4 km, direction SW)
Best Western The Rose & Crown Hotel	(5.7 miles, 9.2 km, direction SW)
Best Western Stoke By Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa	(5.9 miles, 9.5 km, direction NW)
Riverside Hotel	(6.0 miles, 9.7 km, direction SW)
Wivenhoe House Hotel	(6.1 miles, 9.9 km, direction S)
George Hotel	(6.2 miles, 9.9 km, direction SW)
Hotel Elizabeth Copdock	(6.2 miles, 9.9 km, direction NE)
The Red Lion Hotel	(6.2 miles, 10.0 km, direction SW)
Hintlesham Hall Hotel	(6.8 miles, 10.9 km, direction N)
Swallow Belstead Brook Hotel	(7.7 miles, 12.4 km, direction NE)
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