Dedham

Knowing that my last week in Colchester would mostly be spent alone, with little means for travel, I began enquiring about nearby single-day excursions two weeks ago. Time and time again, among locals and internationals alike, the town of Dedham was mentioned. It had been described as your typical, charming, English country town featuring farm shops, historical buildings, and local crafts--an apparent authentic English experience.

However, getting there is not so apparent. There is no public transportation to Dedham whatsoever. For a town as well-known and highly recommended I found this a bit odd, but figured that perhaps the inconvenience of its inaccessibility just made it that much more special. Instead, as a quick internet search revealed, besides traveling by car, Dedham may be reached via an equally authentically English footpath. 

Serving as the subject of many of 18th century landscape artist John Constable's paintings, Dedham Vale, or 'Constable Country' is the quintessence of historical English countryside and remains little changed from the time of its established fame.

'Dedham Vale Morn' (1802)

The 'Walk in Constable's Footsteps,' as it were, is a seven mile (there and back) walk directly from the Manningtree train station to Dedham, with the option of detouring to another small, country town, Flatford. Wooden, arrowed signs directed the way 

Under bridges...

Around marshlands...

Through croplands...I walked through a field of wheat!

Past some sheep...

and a multi-racial group of cows

True to it's name, you could say, the town is a bit dead.

Spanning across two blocks, Dedham offers a handful of eateries, an arts crafts center, three hairdressers, two clothing stores, two groceries, a butcher, the above abandoned auto garage, and the one remaining historical building: a church, of course.

The bread shelf at the farm shop. 

It took me forty minutes to get there, and had I not been visiting for the first time I'd say I would be spending little more than thirty upon revisiting.