The Environment Agency is, at present, the navigation authority for the section of the Stour that runs from Brundon Mill, upstream of Sudbury, to Cattawade near Manningtree. The Agency have published bye-laws that prohibit the use of powered boats anywhere except on the stretch from Sudbury to Henny. A licence is required, for details contact The Environment Agency or telephone 08708 506506.
The River Stour was made navigable as a commercial waterway in 1705 from Sudbury to the sea and although many of the locks have disappeared a public right of navigation remains. The river is eminently suitable for exploring by light craft. For practically the whole way the river runs through a wide valley with pleasant views. There are no large towns along the course.
Sudbury is the best place to start a cruise, it is a pleasant place to stock up supplies. It is famous as being the birthplace of Gainsborough, and as the model for Dickens Eatonswill, it still shows traces of being a former Flemish wool town.
Boats can be launched over the recently renovated slip way next to The River Stour Trust's headquarters at the Granary, in Quay Lane, (Follow the signs for the Quay Theatre) there is ample parking for cars and trailers.
The Gasworks Cut
joins the main river which is wide and deep downstream to the first portage at Cornard Mill
where the Trust have constructed a new lock, the portage is alongside the lock.
The lock can be used by arrangement with the Trust, picnicking is allowed on the lock
but there is no road access
The next obstruction is at Henny Street where portaging should be made on the left bank immediately above the weir. Opposite the weir is The Henny Swan. an attractive pub set back from the river. A short distance below is Shalford weir a shallow structure with landing stages above and below.
Portaging is next required at Pitmire where a Crump weir was built in 1999 with jetties above and below. Immediately downstream are the remains of Pitmire Lock, the gate cills can be clearly seen. The current passage is via the old bypass channel on the Suffolk side. The river here passes through a nature reserve and boaters are requested not to tarry.
The next portage is at Lamarsh Gauging station and should be made on the left bank. Inexperienced canoeists should not attempt to shoot this structure and on no account should lone boaters do so.
The following reach is a long one and passes through Bures, a pleasant village set beside
the river. The village recreation ground is on the left bank and here a "Millennium Bridge"
takes a footpath across the river. This is a convenient spot to tie up and cross the
bridge to the two village pubs, for food and drink. The garage also sells some basic
groceries.
The following reach is often shallow and weedy and care must be taken all the way to
Wormingford Mill. Just before the Mill, the river divides. Although narrow the extreme
right channel should be taken where a landing stage will be found at the end.
On no account should the old lock chamber be attempted as it contains a dangerous
obstruction
The river passes under the
Colchester- Sudbury road through a culvert, known as "The Tunnell" and shortly
another semi-circular step weir is encountered, with the portage points on the right
hand side. A short distance further and the Anchor pub beside the river makes a useful
mooring. Nayland is an interesting village with many timbered houses, it once had its
own market, and is noted for Alston Court a fine 15th and 16th century town house
At first the reach below is shallow and weedy, but soon improves, it is a long stretch
to the next portage at Boxted Mill, which is well marked on the left hand bank and goes
through an orchard into the mill pond.
At the next obstruction, Langham Flumes the portage is on the right hand side,
the pool at the bottom of the flumes has a strong eddy and contains several rocks,
boaters are advised not to shoot the structure, and certainly never to attempt it
travelling alone. There are shoals in the river until the pumping station is reached,
which will be the head of navigation for larger craft when Stratford Lock is restored,
from here the river is deep and placid. Discharging into the stream from the Suffolk
side is first the Box and by Higham Church the Brett. At Stratford St Mary the river
divides, the left hand branch leads to the garden of The Swan public house, one of the
three pubs in the village. The right hand leads directly to the portage point at the end
of the branch, into the (dry) lock cut and under a footbridge. When Stratford lock is
restored the portage will be along side the lock.The following pound to Dedham is
particularly beautiful, being wide and deep and flanked by mature trees on one side and
the water meadows on the other. At Dedham the portage is marked immediately above the Lock
Cottage, with boats being carried around the cottage on the landward side and relaunched
in the mill pond. The lock here together with that at Flatford has been restored by
the Trust, and arrangements can be made to pass through the locks. Dedham is another
interesting old village with many fine old buildings.Once it was an important weaving
and market town, with a Grammar School, where John Constable, the famous English
landscape painter was educated. The Boathouse restaurant, just below the bridge is a
handy place to pause, either to wander up the High Street, or to stop for refreshments.
From Dedham to Flatford is a very popular part of the river and at week ends there
are many rowing boats on the river. Flatford Lock is famous for its association with
Constable, and is popular with tourists who come to admire the scenes he immortalised,
there is a tea room a small museum and an Interpretative centre, all worth a visit.
To continue, if not passing through the lock, portaging is via the right hand side of the
lock.. Until the contruction of the Cattawade Barrage in the 1970's the next
reach was semi tidal, but it is now freshwater and colonised by a wide diversity of
aquatic plants. At Judas Gap, about 1km below Flatford Lock the river divides; the
northern route being the navigation channel. Keep clear of the unguarded weir by
hugging the left bank and follow the river down to the site of Brantham Sea Lock, now
merely a broad basin and a good picnic site. Cattawade Barrage is about 2 kms below. Here,
sluice gates regulate the outflow into the tidal reach.. For those wishing to continue
their cruise onto salt water boat rollers have been provided, however , any transfer
to the estuary should be timed close to high tide as the upper reaches are only in water
for a short time. A good place to finish a cruise is at the picnic site by Brantham
Bridge where there is parking for cars and trailers.
The next
pound is quite long and winds past Rushbanks Caravan site. There is a low footbridge
which needs to be negoatiated with care.
At Wissington Mill,
another large weather boarded structure, there is a semi-circular stepped weir.
There is a landing stage on the right bank just above the weir.The downstream bank is
steep and is slippery in wet conditions.