Dedham Vale is a designated
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the
Essex-
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
border in east
England. It comprises the area around the
River Stour between
Manningtree and Smallbridge Farm, 1 mile (1.6 km) east of
Bures, including the village of
Dedham in Essex.
It is part of the area known as ''Constable Country'', as it was made famous by the paintings of the English
Romantic
Romantic may refer to:
Genres and eras
* The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries
** Romantic music, of that era
** Romantic poetry, of that era
** Romanticism in science, of that e ...
painter
John Constable
John Constable (; 11 June 1776 – 31 March 1837) was an English landscape painter in the Romanticism, Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedha ...
. Among many other works of the area are his
''Dedham Vale'' paintings of 1802 and 1828, held in the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the
Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh.
Land use
Dedham Vale supports a viable and diverse agriculture with a mix of farm sizes. The majority of the land in the valley is still farmed despite development pressures. Farming is the primary tool for supporting the area’s landscape and wildlife.
Arger Fen
Arger Fen is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) south-east of Sudbury in Suffolk, England. The site occupies two separate areas. The Arger Fen Local Nature Reserve is part of the larger eastern block, and contains part o ...
, a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
, contains areas of ancient woodland,
meadow and
fen.
[Arger Fen]
SSSI citation, Natural England. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
Geology
Throughout the valley
Eocene and glacial deposits overlay chalk deposited during the
Cretaceous period.
London Clay and sands are often exposed on the valley sides as the river and its tributaries cut through the deposits. The composition of these layers and where they occur is paramount in determining what species will grow, which habitats can occur and how the area is farmed.
River
The River Stour is the key landscape focus for the valley, its course is defined by bank-side trees and
wet meadows. It supports a variety of riparian (river) habitats.
The valley floor has a large areas of functioning
floodplain.
Water quality is good, meeting levels demanded in regulations. The catchment meets sustainable demands for
water supply,
flood control and recreational use, whilst retaining an unspoilt character and healthy
ecosystem.
The river has become an important method of controlling water levels both in the surrounding countryside and irrigating crops.
cmglee_Manningtree_Dedham_Vale.jpg, Dedham Vale near Manningtree
cmglee_Manningtree_River_Stour.jpg, Wildfowl on River Stour
Human influence
Humans have had a great influence on the landscape including building isolated settlements, transport links and churches. Agricultural workers divided up the land to plant crops, grow timber and graze animals.
The landscape continues to change as changing
agricultural practices, increased
leisure time and an awareness of environmental concerns all contribute to development of the Stour valley.
References
External links
Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Countryside Project Dedham Vale Society''Constable's England'' a full text exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which contains material on Dedham Vale
{{Authority control
Geography of Essex
Protected areas of Essex
Protected areas of Suffolk
John Constable