Sudbury Water Meadows
This circular walk takes you around the delightful Water Meadows in the Suffolk town of Sudbury. There's some delightful scenery with riverside trails and wild flowers, birds and mammals to look out for on the way.
The area has strong connections with the painter Thomas Gainsborough who was born in the town.
It forms part of the Gainsborough trail which takes you on a tour of the town, visiting sights connected with the artist.
The walk starts from Sudbury Train station and picks up the Valley Trail to take you west to the River Stour and Ballingdon Bridge. The path loops round to the north, crossing the water meadows to Brundon Mill. Here you'll find a row of pretty mill cottages, a weir and numerous swans.
After enjoying the picturesque mill the trail turns south to Brundon Lane and King's Marsh, before returning to the train station.
There's also waymarked trails to take you through the ancient market town. You can visit the market square where you can see the Thomas Gainsborough statue. His birthplace is now open to the public and has been converted to a museum and art gallery.
There's also three medieval churches, Victorian terrace houses, Georgian manor houses and some fine medieval timber framed Halls to see too.
Two fine long distance trails pass the town. You could pick up the Stour Valley Path or the St Edmund Way to extend your walking in the area. If you follow the trails north they'll take you up to Melford Hall and Kentwell Hall which are well worth a visit.
Postcode
CO10 1JT - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsSudbury Ordnance Survey Map 
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Sudbury Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Sudbury OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Sudbury Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Walks near Sudbury
- Stour Valley Path - Follow the River Stour from Newmarket to Cattawade on this delightful walk through East Anglia
- St Edmund Way - A walk through Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk from Manningtree to Brandon
- Lavenham - This pretty Suffolk village has lots of good options for walkers wishing to explore the area
- Melford Hall - Enjoy a walk around the beautiful grounds of Melford Hall in Suffolk
- Kentwell Hall Long Melford - This circular walk explores the beautiful grounds of this 16th century stately home in Long Melford, Suffolk
- Clare Castle Country Park - This pretty country park is situated on the River Stour in the Suffolk town of Clare
- Bures - This pretty village is located in a lovely spot on the River Stour on the Suffolk/Essex county border
- Castle Hedingham - This walk explores the Essex based village of Castle Hedingham and its historic castle grounds.
- Gosfield Lake - This walk visits the village of Gosfield in the Braintree district of Essex near Halstead
- Sudbury Railway Walk - This route takes you along the Sudbury Valley Walk in the Suffolk town of Sudbury.
- Melford Country Park - This walk visits Melford Country Park in the village of Long Melford in Suffolk.
Dog Walking
The river trails make for a fine dog walk so you'll probably see other owners on your visit.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
The Sudbury Railway Walk starts from the train station and runs along a disused railway line to the river and lakes at Melford Country Park. The flat, easy trail is also suitable for cyclists.
A few miles to the south you can visit the worthy village of Bures. The village occupies an interesting spot, straddling the border between Suffolk and Essex. There's also a historic medieval church and a 12th century Motte and Bailey Castle to see here.
Just a few miles to the south west there's the noteworthy village of Castle Hedingham. Here you'll find the splendid Hedingham Castle with its significant 12th century Norman Keep, pretty lake and beautiful landscaped gardens. Near here there's also Gosfield Hall and Gosfield Lake where there's some nice waterside trails and a good lakeside cafe. The 16th century hall is designated as a Grade I listed building and is now used for weddings.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Suffolk Walks page.
Photos
Cows grazing on Sudbury Common Lands
Weir on the River Stour, Sudbury Water Meadows
Swans on River Stour at Brundon
A row of Cottages in Brundon
Water meadows by the River Stour at Sudbury
Path by the River Stour, Sudbury
Mill Stream
The River Stour at the Croft. The Croft is a local beauty spot, it has extensive lawns sloping down to the river, with a picnic site and boating pool opposite.