Dedham, one of the opulent wool towns in the 15th Century, sits beside the River Stour where John Constable's father had a watermill (since replaced with a victorian one).

Dedham Vale, with the River Stour, straddles the borders of Essex and Suffolk and is otherwise known as Constable Country after the famous painter John Constable.

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The village of East Bergholt, in Suffolk, lies on the high ground on the north side of Dedham Vale about 1½ miles North East of Dedham village in Essex.

East Bergholt is where Constable had his first studio.

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There is a visitor information centre at Flatford.

Although Flatford Mill is owned by The National Trust the buildings are leased to the Field Studies Council who run interesting courses ranging from "Suffolk's Medieval Houses" through "Watercolours for Beginners" to "Computers and the Internet". These courses can be either residential or non-residential.

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