Located at the far end of the Constable Hall playing fields.
parking available
In the days before road, a Sudbury Act of Parliament passed in 1705 giving the town authority to create a ‘navigation’ and bring barges up to 45ft long to Ballingdon, so the Corporation built locks downstream to Flatford, the lowest point for fording the river regardless of the tide, and the trade in bulky commodities such as bricks and grain begun.
Constable painted several oil sketches of the view towards East Bergholt Rectory, over the fields that he loved.
Leslie is one of six 19 year olds who are commemorated on the Village Memorial to Those Who Died in the Great War. He was was killed in action on the Western Front, less than two months before the Armistice was signed.
Built originally in 1705 and became the inheritance of John Constables fathers ‘Golding’ estate, the bridge at Flatford was probably amongst John Constables earliest recollections and was indeed included in many of his sketches over the years.
Clouds over the Rectory, a view from East Bergholt House, family home of the Constable family.
Brother of John Dale and William Dale. Abram volunteered to join the Army in September 1914 and served for nearly 3 years on the Western Front with 11th Battalion, the Essex Regiment. He died of wounds in May 1918.
Located within a Victorian walled garden at East Bergholt, Garden & Cafe open daily 10:00 - 17:00.
Parking & toilets available too.
Toilets including accessible and baby changing facilities are open for visitors.
The approach to Fen Lane from Flatford Lane.
Painted in the vicinity of East Bergholt during a long holiday Constable and his wife Maria took in East Bergholt in 1817. This was the last oil painting he executed directly on site.
A pre- war Territorial soldier, Jack was mobilised upon the outbreak of war in August 1914. Initially too young to serve overseas, he was not sent to France until 1917. Jack was killed during the Third Battle of Ypres, aged 19.
The first lock at Flatford was installed in the early eighteenth century. It was turf sided and located about 20 yards to the north of the present lock.
National Trust pay & display parking at Flatford
open dawn to dusk.
peak times 1100-1400
Constable painted numerous sketches in Fen Lane over the years, a place he knew well having walked the route as a boy from Flatford Lane, down Fen lane, and over the Stour at Fen Bridge to the Grammar School in Dedham.
Brother of Abram and William Dale. John worked as a Farm Labourer and was conscripted into the Army in 1916. Serving in the Coldstream Guards, John fought at the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917 but was killed later that year during the Battle of Cambrai.
Flatford Mill, immortalised by John Constable and his painting of The Haywain and the Mill which is as recognisable today as it was then.
Attached to the Mill, is the 17th Century Millers cottage
Serving a seasonal range of takeaway hot and cold drinks and light snacks.
for opening times please see HERE
Well behaved dogs welcome.
The figure of the drinking boy in this sketch appears again in ‘The Cornfield’ 1826 and based on a view towards the Stour from Fen Lane, the track that runs down to the river from Flatford Lane and the route Constable would have walked each day as a boy to the Grammar School in Dedham.
Robert worked as a Farm Labourer, before joining the Army in late 1915. He was killed in the Battle of the Somme the following year, less than a week after “going into the line” for the very first time.
The Granary would have been built by the mill owner and so from early times it belonged to the mill. The main granary and outbuildings would have been used to store all sorts of things, including wool, wood, coal and grain and flour and at one time was owned by John Constable’s father.
From jams, chutneys, biscuits, books and more, with plenty of ideas for gifts and treats.
A view of Fen Lane from Flatford Lane in pencil.