Friday 26 June 2009

A Walk from Flatford Mill to Dedham

As promised in the last post, I will take you on a walk from Flatford Mill to Dedham. This will be a 3 mile circular walk taking in afternoon tea on the way. (You can see lots of beautiful photos of Dedham by clicking on 'English Villages' These are from our last visit in November.)


This becomes a long drag up the lane to the top of the hill


We are now walking across the fields to the village which is on the horizon here


I love the long grasses blowing in the breeze



We come to one of the many 'kissing gates'


And out onto a path


Passing some cows


And over a river covered in Algae



Along a wooded path



Through fields and to another river, the River Stour which divides Suffolk with our own country of Essex. On the horizon here you can see the church in Dedham. We cannot go directly there though as we have to wait until we can cross the river, making it much futher than the crow flies.


Now is this cow standing on top of his friends! - no, he is standing and they are lying down.







Continuing along the river. When my children were young we took our own dingy onto this river but I would imagine that health and safety would not allow that now.







We are now on the bridge crossing the river



And passing the bank of a stream covered in wild Cammomile


Into Dedham


Passing a country green grocery store








We come to The Essex Rose, our favourite 16th century Tea House

I had Rocky Road square and Alan had carrot Cake



Some good views of the surrounding area and a portrait of the painter John Constable on a souvenir teatowel



And now fully refreshed we make our way back to Flatford Mill


Seeing light at the end of the tunnel



And following the river on the other side this time


Across the last field where we will find our car and make our way home. Hope you enjoyed the walk as much as we did.

14 comments:

Andrea said...

I loved my walk with you today! You must tire of hearing me declare the beauty of England, but every image I see is so lovely and so pure.

Thank you for sharing!

Andrea

Linda said...

So green and lovely.

Deanna said...

Barbara,
Summer Blessings to you.
Enjoying your pics of English Countryside and Villages, etc.
Appreciate seeing the sites with you.
God Bless,
~Deanna~

Tina said...

Hi dear Barbara, I love your pictures and your posts are like visiting places with you for real. :)
Yes, a Cath Kidston shop so near me will be a delight and a drain on my wallet. :) oh, dear!!
Hope you have a great weekend. x

Elizabethd said...

What a lovely walk! I'm so glad we stopped at the delightful tea shop.

Bishop Stone said...

I would love to take a walk like that, and that lovely teahouse. Yummm

duopastorale said...

That's my kind of day! With a nice cream tea :)

Merisi said...

Thank you for this wonderful walk through an incredibly beautiful countryside! I love the kissing gates and the tea made me want to come over right away.

I also enjoyed strolling through some of your previous posts, such an eclectic collection of scenes from your great country. Thank you!

Needled Mom said...

I did so enjoy the walk with you, but I'll bet that my legs don't feel as tired as yours must.

It was such a delightful walk and thank you for sharing all the sights along the way.

Bernideen said...

Wow! That was wonderful!

Anonymous said...

I will never tire of seeing the beauty of the English countryside. I like to imagine my ancestors living in villages like that. I will have to go back and check to where they actually came from. Thanks for today's pleasures. Blessings
QMM

Sharon's Cottage Quilts said...

Oh My walk a lovely walk! Your beautiful pictures make me feel as though I were right beside you! Wonderful! Thank you so much!

java girl said...

Oh my goodness what a lovely walk! The the Tea House was GRAND!

Lavinia said...

These photos really do suggest that the people you'd see amidst these settings just stepped out of a Jane Austen novel!