Week 2 - A Weekend In Essex

Just got back from a wonderful weekend in Essex with the Boswells. They live in Frinton-on-Sea, a beautiful Victorian town on the Essex coast. On Saturday they took me on a wonderful day trip. First we stopped in the most adorably picturesque village, Dedham. They have a 14th century church there that was stunning. Take a look!

The bell tower of the church appeared frequently in Constable's paintings.

The main entrance now but it was originally a side entrance.

The ceiling was incredible - the original beams!

The church became Protestant during the Reformation but the altar still has a very Catholic look to it.

This picture is for my Mimi - she plays beautifully!

The stonework in the church was beautiful.

The stained glass windows aren't original. Those were probably destroyed during
the Civil Wars in the 17th century. A lot of iconoclasm occurred during that time.

Beautiful wood angels carved into the ceiling support beams.

Notice how the figures on the upper panel of this piece were removed. More
iconoclasm or did they simply deteriorate? Still gorgeous!

The original door - I was in absolute history nerd heaven;)

I had to get a picture of this heraldic shield on the ceiling. It shows an American Indian - complete with a bow and
feather! Chris Boswell said it was probably because a member of the parish had made their fortune in the
New World.

The rest of the village was incredibly picturesque but we didn't linger. We jumped in the car and headed over to East Bergholt, Suffolk to see where John Constable drew inspiration for his gorgeous landscapes. It was an amazing day! We arrived at Flatford Mill and it was like stepping back into they 17th and 18th centuries. The tea room was right next to a 400 year old cottage that had a thatched roof (!) and a little river ran right past. Our tour guide, Tina, took us to all the places around the Mill that had inspired Constable. She showed us the relevant painting at each point and we could turn and look at almost exactly what he had seen 200 years ago. It was absolutely wonderful and I took loads of picture. Here are some of the best.

The path we walked to reach the Mill.

A 17th century cottage. Notice the two doors - two families lived in there! 

I LOVE thatched roofs and the detail that they cut into the thatch is just beautiful/

The people in the picture walked along the river path from Dedham. As you can tell, it was a bit overcast
and very windy but the scenery was gorgeous.

The River Stour

The cottage as seen from the opposite bank. So charming!

Flatford Mill, which was owned by John Constable's family. We were able to walk right up to it.
The whole thing was an incredible experience.

The site of one of Constable's most famous paintings, The Hay Wain.

This was one of my favorite parts! This is a 600 year old farmhouse! It is now owned by The National Trust
and they use it to provide accommodation for guests. That. Would. Be. Awesome.The little lean-to section
on the left is modern but the rest is entirely original.

I asked the Boswells to stop so I could get this picture. Isn't it beautiful? And if you look closely, you'll see
the church tower in Dedham right in the center.

Could this be any more adorable?!

The Boswells and I agreed that the tour around the Mill with Tina was one of the best parts of the weekend. She did an amazing job and it really brought his paintings to life. It gave me goosebumps to look at a painting, turn to look at the scenery, and realize that I was standing almost exactly where he was two centuries ago. It really was unforgettable. There is so much to see here in England and hopefully this is just the first of many trips that I'll take over the next two years. Hope you had a great weekend, too!